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Kremlin Calls Facebook's Claims Of Russia's Alleged Interference Unsubstantiated

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has commented on a row of issues, including Facebook's statement about deleting allegedly Russia-linked accounts, noted that everyone was racing to produce unsubstantiated statements.
Sputnik

"We have seen these reports… We do not understand what it has to do with the Russian intelligence, where did Facebook find this out, on what Facebook based [its assumptions] taking such decisions that it had something to do with us. This statement does not contain any such information," Peskov said commenting on the Kremlin's attitude to the Facebook statement after it shut down some groups allegedly linked to the Russian intelligence.

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On Tuesday, the social network said that it removed "pages, groups and accounts that can be linked to sources the US government has previously identified as Russian military intelligence services."

"Well, you know, they are all racing with each other over issuing such statements, but again they are all written in a copy-paste manner, there are no evidence. We do not understand what they are based on and treat them respectively," the spokesman concluded.

On Bolton's Remark Claiming Russia 'Stuck' in Syria

Moscow does not agree with the statement that Russia is "stuck" in Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

READ MORE: Facebook, Twitter Remove Hundreds of Pages Tied to Iran

Earlier, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said that Russia was "stuck" in Syria and was looking for someone else to finance the country's post-war recovery and that it gave Washington leverage in negotiations with Moscow.

"We do not agree with this statement. Russia indeed plays a very active role in saving Syria from international terrorism, from the Islamic State [terrorist group banned in Russia] and other terrorist groups, and in guiding Syria to the path of political and diplomatic settlement. Russia is also actively contributing to the return of refugees to Syria and the beginning of the process of reconstruction of the country. It is not correct to say that Russia is stuck somewhere," Peskov told reporters adding that it was especially strange to hear such statements from the United States as the US military was also in Syria.

On Prospects of Future US-Russia Cooperation

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Moscow and Washington should search for common ground, understand if there is any as bilateral relations continue to deteriorate, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"As regards expectations, there are many issues, pressing ones. Bilateral relations continue to deteriorate, it is necessary to search for some common ground. And also to understand, whether there is any, whether our vis-a-vis have such desire," Peskov told reporters when asked about the expectations for the upcoming meeting between Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and US National Security Adviser John Bolton.

READ MORE: Bolton Claims Russia 'Stuck' in Syria, Says US Has Leverage in Negotiations

A week earlier, John Bolton stated that Russia, Israel and the United States all want Iranian-backed forces removed from Syria.

On Allegedly Lost Russian Nuclear-Powered Missile

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Moscow is unaware of an allegedly unsuccessful test of Russia's state-of-the-art nuclear-powered cruise missile that the CNBC television channel reported about, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday.

"Unlike the American television channel, I do not have such information and I recommend you to ask our experts in this field, the Defense Ministry," Peskov said.

CNBC reported Tuesday citing its sources that "Moscow is preparing to try to recover" the missile that "remains lost" in the Barents Sea "after a failed test late last year."

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