WASHINGTON, September 5. /TASS/. Russia has never allowed itself to interfere in the internal affairs of the United States and does not intend to do so, Moscow rejects accusations against Russian media, Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said.

Commenting on the US-imposed sanctions on the Rossiya Segodnya media group, he said: "I emphasize that we have always respected and will always respect the choice of the American people, whatever it may be. We have never interfered in the internal affairs of the United States and do not intend to do so in the future." "We categorically reject the false accusations against Russian media and demand the lifting of the administrative restrictions imposed on the work of our journalists in America," he said in a commentary posted on the embassy’s Telegram channel.

Antonov emphasized that the Russian side has never equated the "wise people of the United States" with the American administration, which is trying to undermine bilateral relations. "It is obvious to everyone: the local authorities are doing everything to not only tear the fabric of Russian-American ties, but to completely destroy their foundation. Such a policy poses a threat to the cause of preserving peace and global stability," the ambassador said.

On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department announced that it was imposing sanctions on RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan and her deputies Anton Anisimov and Yelizaveta Brodskaya. The blacklist also includes Andrey Kiyashko, deputy head of RT's information broadcasting service, Konstantin Kalashnikov, head of the digital media projects department, and Yelena Afanasyeva, an employee of the digital media projects department.

In addition, the US State Department is tightening the rules of operation with regard to the Rossiya Segodnya media group and its affiliates, defining their status as "foreign missions." In turn, the US Justice Department charged Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and money laundering.