Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Accuses U.S. of Election Meddling Over Navalny

Maria Zakharova (Mikhail Dzhaparidze / TASS)

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has accused the United States of election meddling after criticism of Russia's decision to bar opposition leader Alexei Navalny from taking part in the 2018 presidential elections. 

A U.S. State Department spokesman expressed concern over "restrictions on independent voices" after Navalny was barred from running by Russia's Central Election Commission on Tuesday , the state-run TASS news agency reported.

“This State Department statement, which I’m sure will be repeated, is a direct interference in our electoral process and internal affairs,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook. 

Zakharova called out the U.S. for perceived hypocrisy, citing the required registration of the Kremlin-run RT news network as a foreign agent last month. 

“The funniest thing is that these are the same people who just tagged RT and Sputnik as foreign agents, who are harassing Russian media around the world and who are investing huge amounts of money into ‘countering Russian propaganda,’ which is how they label anyone who they disagree with," she wrote. 

“And these people expressed outrage over alleged Russian ‘interference’ in their electoral process for an entire year?!"

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

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 you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more