US Hasn't Presented Evidence of Russia's Alleged Election Meddling - Envoy

Andrei Krutskikh, Russia's presidential envoy, has said in the wake of fresh accusations from the US that Moscow so far hasn't seen any evidence of the so-called election interference. He stressed that Moscow gave explanations to the US regarding meddling allegations before and after Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential vote.

"The Americans have repeatedly been given clarifications on the basis of the agreement on cooperation in the sphere of confidence-building measures in the area of information and communication technology, before and after elections, as well as before Trump's inauguration, and we can give more explanations," he said, commenting on the charges filed against the Russian nationals.

Krutskikh noted that there were not any official claims against Russian nationals, meaning that the indictment is no more than "childish statements," which have nothing behind them.

Commenting on the release of a new list of Russian nationals by US authorities, Krutskikh called it the "new bad fashion" of American diplomacy, adding that Washington is trying to shift focus from a discussion of the issue of bilateral cooperation with Russia.

"Instead of discussing issues of stabilization and ensuring the security of cyberspace, [the US] is accusing individuals and organizations. This is the United States' traditional approach. Surprisingly, they still do not understand that this method is absolutely ineffective," Krutskikh stressed.

Sanctions' Thirst: US Politicians Call for Response Over Alleged Vote Meddling

17 February 2018, 03:47 GMT

The office of US Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russian nationals and three entities on Friday 13 of allegedly trying to meddle in the 2016 presidential vote in the US. The 37-page indictment claimed that the aforementioned Russians used fake personas in an attempt to prop up Donald Trump's candidacy during the election run. The indictment, however, does not appear to make any mention of the Russian government.

Following the release of the indictment, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has blasted the accusations, calling them "absurd."

US President Trump has also taken to Twitter, claiming that what he called Moscow's "anti-US campaign" hasn't impacted the results of the presidential election.

Four separate probes into the alleged interference were launched by the US Congress. Russia's top leadership, including President Vladimir Putin, have repeatedly rejected the unsubstantiated claims of Russian meddling in the affairs of other states.