"There was an unprecedented disinformation, pressure and defamation campaign in the period prior to the election. Unfortunately, the United States has initiated this campaign against the Russian candidate," Zakharova said at a press briefing.
The statement was made a day after Interpol announced that its current acting head Kim Jong Yang had been elected for a two-year term. Another candidate to head Interpol was senior Russian police officer, Maj. Gen. Alexander Prokopchuk. On Tuesday, the Russian Interior Ministry accused foreign media of running a smear campaign against Prokopchuk, warning against politicizing Interpol.
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"… Washington has even given up on its principles on not disclosing preferences during elections to international organizations, and it has involved its foreign ministry in it, as it has openly taken the path of preventing the Russian candidate from being elected," Zakharova said.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington was 'strongly' endorsing the current acting head of Interpol. The statement followed a letter by a bipartisan group of US senators, warning against the election of Russian Maj. Gen. Alexander Prokopchuk, who serves as Interpol's vice-president for Europe.
Reacting to the letter, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it could be deemed as pressure on Interpol.