MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. In an interview with UK Channel 4 on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov compared Western accusations against Russia to the logic of Lewis Carroll’s Queen, who said "sentence first, verdict afterwards."

When asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin can give his US counterpart Donald Trump guarantees that Russia would not interfere with the upcoming midterm elections in the United States, Lavrov replied that Moscow "would prefer some facts."

"We cannot intelligently discuss something which is based on ‘highly likely,’" he continued. "Indictment is something which requires a trial. <…> So let’s not jump the gun."

"I love Lewis Carroll, but I don’t think that the logic of the Queen, who said ‘sentence first, verdict later’… is going to prevail," Lavrov added. "But so far, take the presidential election in the US, take Brexit, take Salisbury case, take this tragedy with the Malaysian Boeing, the MH17 flight - it’s all based on ‘investigation continues, but you are guilty already.’ It cannot work this way.".