MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has not ruled out the possibility that FBI employees currently on the premises of the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco may plant compromising documents against Russia there for the purpose of whipping up a provocation.
"It looks as if the American intelligence agencies are trying to organize an anti-Russian provocation and may even plant compromising material in the building or discover them somehow in the future. Because we don’t have the foggiest idea of what they are doing now," she explained.
"Special equipment has been installed, and some works are underway," Zakharova continued. "And no one is talking about this to anyone, of course."
Not only is US destabilizing relations between Moscow and Washington, but throughout the world as well, by its actions towards Russian diplomatic property, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman noted.
"This behavior is inappropriate for an entity based on international law and a permanent member of the UN Security Council that pioneered the modern system of international relations," she said. "Unfortunately, it threatens to morph into not just an incident, but a new American practice."
"We believe that the US is thus destabilizing not just Russian-American relations, but the global international order as well," Zakharova added.
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman noted that the American political class "got out of the line both from a legal and moral perspective."
Zakharova also denied the US Department of State’s remarks that Washington’s actions are aimed at restoring diplomatic parity in its relations with Moscow. "New tonality of relations is being impressed upon us. This is being done now, almost every day. Recession and refusal to cooperate, including contacts between or nations, are thrust upon us," she stated.
Washington’s actions against Russia’s diplomatic property violate fundamental diplomatic immunity provisions, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman stressed.
"Diplomatic immunity, particularly the immunity of diplomatic facilities refers to the rules of the game enshrined in international law," she pointed out. "Even when the most acute crises break out, these rules allow countries to maintain civilized interaction. This is the key phrase - even when the most acute crises and wars break out and diplomatic relations are severed. This is what diplomatic immunity was introduced for," the Russian diplomat added.
"How are you supposed to build dialogue and relations if you partner violates agreements after having accepted them, being a subject of international law?" Zakharova contemplated.