All news

UK’s accusations of Russia’s hostile actions ‘empty talk,’ diplomat says

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out that Moscow had repeatedly proposed to hold bilateral inter-agency consultations on international cybersecurity at various levels

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. The UK’s accusations of alleged Russian cyberattacks and the overall Russian threat to digital security are groundless, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday, commenting on MI5 Director General Ken McCallum’s report on "hostile activities of a number of countries".

"We are talking about the MI5 Director’s speculation about the threat to British security, allegedly originating from ‘actions of hostile states,’ which he considers our country to be as well. All ideas are formulated in the well-known ‘highly likely’ style: no proof, no specific facts, only speculations about some hybrid threats, not confirmed with a single example," she said. "If the British side has anything to present not only to microphones and social media as empty talks, but in the form of specific data, they are always welcome to send it via the appropriate channels."

According to the diplomat, such statements negatively affect international dialogue and the normal development of bilateral ties.

"We have said it repeatedly that we see no point in commenting on such accusations; we believe it important to have responsible talks and operate with specific facts," Zakharova added.

The diplomat pointed out that Russia had repeatedly proposed to hold bilateral inter-agency consultations on international cybersecurity at various levels.

"A proposal was voiced during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s talks with then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in December 2017. We’ve been underscoring for years that Russia acts out of the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs," Zakharova said.