Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov spoke with US Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan in connection with the publications in the diplomatic mission's social media about illegal protests, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on air on Channel One.
The diplomat noted that the US side received a strong protest because of its support of the unauthorized rallies that took place in some Russian cities on January 23. Russia sees these materials, as well as the US State Department statement, as direct interference in its internal affairs.
Zakharova stressed that Moscow urged Washington to comply with Russian laws.
Uncoordinated rallies were held on Saturday in various Russian cities. Supporters of Alexei Navalny urged people to attend, even though the Interior Ministry and Prosecutor-General's Office warned of the organizers' responsibility. These events are considered provocations and a threat to public order.
The US diplomatic mission claimed that it monitors "reports of protest rallies in 38 Russian cities" and supports "the right of all people to peaceful protests and freedom of expression," while the measures taken by Russian authorities are supposedly "aimed at suppressing these rights".
The Foreign Ministry, in turn, noted that attempts to incite radical elements would have negative consequences for bilateral relations. At the same time, when riots erupted in early January in Washington, the US Embassy refrained from commenting.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from RIA Novosti