“Attempts to interfere”
Moscow warns US ambassador
March 7, 2024, 8:28 p.m
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The relationship with the West has long been shattered, and Moscow is now summoning the US ambassador. The reason: “Attempts to interfere” by NGOs. It explicitly states that retaliation for US embassy representatives involved in such actions could mean expulsion.
About a week before the presidential election in Russia, Moscow summoned US Ambassador Lynne Tracy to protest against “attempts to interfere” by non-governmental organizations from the US. “Attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation, including through subversive actions and the spread of disinformation in the context of the elections and the special military operation, will be resolutely and decisively suppressed,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Moscow accuses three US organizations specializing in education of “implementing programs and projects with an anti-Russian bias with the support of the embassy” and “recruiting agents of influence under the guise of cultural and educational exchange.” The State Department further explained that retaliatory measures for US embassy representatives involved in such actions could include expulsion.
Ambassador Tracy was told that Washington must stop funding the American Councils for International Education, Cultural Vistas and the Institute of International Education, which promote “attitudes and values alien to Russian society.” All three organizations have been declared “undesirable” in Russia.
Western ambassadors reprimanded
On Tuesday, Russia criticized the behavior of Western ambassadors in the country and suggested the expulsion of German journalists. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Western ambassadors in Moscow of interfering in Russia’s internal affairs. The behavior raises questions about the purpose of such envoys, said Zakharova.
In addition, the German ambassador Alexander Graf Lambsdorff was reprimanded for Germany’s attempts to restrict the activities of Russian journalists. “If they attack Russian correspondents and implement their plan, German journalists will leave Russia,” said Zakharova.