WASHINGTON, July 5. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak has concluded that Washington will "hardly give up on" attempts to influence Russia’s domestic political life, he stated in his conversation with a TASS reporter regarding the results of his nine-year stint in Washington that ends in July.
The Russian presidential election will be held in 2018. Kislyak answered a question on whether there was any information on US meddling in Russian politics saying, "They’ve tried to meddle and it is highly unlikely that they will abandon it."
The envoy cited US legislation as evidence. "It directly stipulates for the Secretary of State to ‘develop’ the democratic administration, clarity, and so on in the Russian Federation," Kislyak stated. "The list is long and, by the way, includes ‘disseminating broadcasts with the support of the United States,’ and it has already been bankrolled," he added.
Political passions have been escalating in the US recently regarding Russia’s alleged meddling in the US presidential election in 2016. The ambassador labelled this an "anti-Russian frenzy" in the interview. In this regard, the Russian administration has reiterated many times that Washington was blatantly trying to influence the political lives of other countries across the world.
‘A heap of lies’
Kislyak clearly stated that there had been no Russian ‘meddling’ in the US elections. "We say we haven’t interfered, because we haven’t interfered," he emphasized, calling the attempts to deny that "a heap of lies," rooted in the highly-charged political atmosphere in the US and the resurgence of "the Cold War-era fears and prejudices."
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I think that history will refute these lies over time, and the United States will start returning to more normal relations with Russia - especially because it would serve their [the Americans’] interests," the diplomat noted.
Besides, he reiterated that Americans "had to give up their own lies many times in the modern history already." "However, as a rule, they do it post factum, after many deeds are done," Kislyak lamented. Pointing to ‘the aggression against Iraq in 2003" as an example, he added that "now they have started wondering about the ‘justifiability’ of the operation in Libya."
As for political bias during the US election, that should be looked for beyond Russia’s borders, the diplomat believes. "I would recommend looking into the statements of numerous European leaders ahead of the US election," Kislyak pointed out. "They were very often not neutral. Their support for Hillary Clinton, who eventually lost, was greater than that for the current president."