Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Accuses U.S. of Hypocrisy Over 'Absurd' Election Interference Claims

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attend a meeting in Moscow. Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters

Russia has dismissed U.S. claims that they have interfered in the U.S. presidential election as “a new level of absurdity,” the RIA Novosti news outlet reported Friday.

The statement comes after the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, accused the Kremlin of repeated interference in elections both at home and abroad. Clapper has been outspoken in his claims that Russian-backed hackers attacked computer systems belonging to the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

“There’s a tradition in Russia of interfering with elections, their own and others,” Clapper told U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

Clapper said that he was concerned that alleged Russian hacks could spread doubt over the U.S. electoral process. It [Russian interference] shouldn’t come as a big shock to people. I think it’s more dramatic maybe because now they have the cyber tools,” he said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quick to dismiss the claims, accusing the U.S. government of hypocrisy.

“This is a new level of absurdity: It’s as if we have fallen through the looking glass," Ryabkov said. “We’re taken aback that that a country who has interfered in the affairs of different countries for decades can so stubbornly and persistently accuse us of any intervention."

Ryabkov also accused European nations of “intervening” in the elections by expressing their preferences for the future U.S. president.

“We really have to congratulate the White House on reaching a new low,” he said.

Some 20,000 DNC emails were leaked in July, as the U.S. Democratic Party met to officially announce their candidate for the presidential elections in November.

The Kremlin has already denied reports that the hack was backed by the Russian state. No official accusation has been made from the White House.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more