Moscow summons US ambassador over ‘meddling’ in Russian elections, accuses Americans of being ‘detached from reality’ in reaction

Moscow has “irrefutable evidence” of American tech giants breaking Russian law, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, on Friday, as it summoned the US Ambassador, John Sullivan, to tell him it won’t tolerate election interference.

The ministry informed the diplomat that Moscow considers any interference in Russia’s internal affairs to be “absolutely unacceptable.” Officials  added that they they had “irrefutable” evidence that the American tech corporations have broken Russian laws in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections scheduled for next week.  

The US envoy spent around 20 minutes with his Russian counterparts following the summons and left the building without answering any questions from journalists. America’s diplomatic mission later told RIA Novosti that the brief visit was supposedly aimed at discussing plans for “stable” relations with Russia under President Joe Biden.

The US interpretation of the developments was promptly criticized by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, said that meddling in the Russian elections was “the only reason” for the summons. She also expressed her hope that the US diplomats would relay the genuine information discussed to Washington, while also calling their statement on the issue “detached from reality.”

Moscow has repeatedly accused Washington of attempting to influence Russia’s internal politics through election meddling. In July, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Russia witnessed “nearly daily” efforts “to influence our domestic and foreign policy” and added that the US would like to see the country weak and “ready for any concessions.”

Earlier on Friday, Russia’s digital watchdog, Roskomnadzor, issued a warning to four American companies, including Apple and Google. The companies are accused of allowing users to access sites banned in Russia, including the "Smart Voting" website set up by supporters of jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny.

Navalny’s operation was branded a ‘foreign agent’ by Russia’s Ministry of Justice over links to foreign funding, and his organizations were later deemed ‘extremist’ and banned by a court in Moscow.

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