WASHINGTON, November 15. /TASS/. The issue of "Russian meddling" in the 2016 US presidential elections is close to becoming openly marginalized, the Russian embassy in the US said in a statement released on its Facebook page.
"A yet another confirmation of this is today’s publication by BuzzFeed. Citing the FBI, they reported of an investigation of 'suspicious' transactions by the Russian Foreign Ministry to our embassies worldwide - 'from Afghanistan to Nigeria,' 'to finance election campaign of 2016.' It mentions Citibank, a bank used by the Russian Embassy in Washington," the statement reads.
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"It is of absolutely no surprise to us that in the universe of the US mainstream, Russia and the Russian Embassy in Washington have the only goal of undermining the basis of the local democracy. Now, BuzzFeed together with the FBI and Congress are investigating money transfers, on which the embassy exists and carries out its functions in strict compliance with the Vienna convention. In fact, with assistance from Citibank, the embassy’s activities are being investigated. This is the new US norm," the statement reads.
"By the fact, we will have to disappoint those 'investigators. We have carried out and we will carry out the State Duma [Russian parliament] and presidential elections in line with our constitution, including for Russian citizens abroad, worldwide, including in the United States," the embassy said.
"If additional funds are needed to organize them, we will receive them from Moscow, through Citibank or any other bank, lawfully. We are even grateful to BuzzFeed journalists for uncovering a yet another gross violation of elementary norms of interaction between local governments and foreign diplomatic missions. And this attempt to artificially link Russia and the embassy to domestic US political wrangling has failed in the most shameful manner," the embassy added.
Earlier on Tuesday, the BuzzFeed internet portal claimed that the FBI was scrutinizing the Russian Foreign Ministry’s money transfer through Citibank, bearing a note that said the money was to be used "to finance election campaign of 2016."
According to the report, the transfer, totaling $30,000, was allegedly sent on August 3 to the Russian Embassy in Washington and was a part of more than 60 money transfers sent by the Russian Foreign Ministry to its embassies across the globe. The transfers via Citibank, totaling about $360,000, were carried out between August 3 and September 20, were directed to various countries "from Afghanistan to Niger."
The article, however, notes that on September 18, 2016, Russia held elections to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. Russian embassies and diplomatic compounds opened polling stations for voters living abroad.