Moscow summoned the ambassadors of the United States, Great Britain and Canada on Tuesday, accusing them of “interfering” in Russia’s internal affairs, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that the three ambassadors – American Lynn Tracy, British Deborah Bronnert and Canadian Alison LeClair – could be summoned “to remind them what they should and shouldn’t do as diplomats.”

Russian diplomacy was agitated by criticism from these diplomats following the sentencing of Russian-British dissident Volodymyr Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison for “treason”. The conviction of the opposition politician caused outrage in Western countries, which complained about the “scandalously harsh” sentence and “abuse of judicial power.”

On Tuesday, Russian diplomacy responded by condemning the “blatant interference” of the United States of America, Great Britain and Canada in the “internal affairs” of Russia, according to News.ro.

The Russian Foreign Ministry threatens to expel American diplomats

“On April 18, the head of the American diplomatic mission was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia to express a sharp protest against provocative statements in support of V. Kara-Murza, convicted of treason, and the dissemination of known false information about the Russian army. . Such actions, carried out publicly with the aim of putting pressure on the authorities and the court, are a flagrant interference in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation,” the Russian diplomacy said in a statement.

The Russian Foreign Ministry says that against the background of the “shameless suppression of dissent even in the United States,” attempts to protect the “agent of influence” possessed by Washington and other Western capitals look “hypocritical and ridiculous.”

Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation warned the US Ambassador Lynn Tracy that “any actions of the American side, aimed at inciting discord and enmity in Russian society and using the diplomatic mission as a cover for subversive activities, will be strictly suppressed.” Employees of the US Embassy who violate the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and abuse their status will have their stay in Moscow prematurely terminated,” Russian diplomacy threatens, suggesting that it may lead to the expulsion of American diplomats.

Moscow ignores Kara-Murza’s British citizenship

In a statement regarding the summons of the British ambassador to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russian diplomacy speaks of a protest against “unacceptable and provocative” statements by the leadership of the British Foreign Ministry regarding Volodymyr Kara-Murza.

“Ambassador Bronnert was informed that we regard the calls of foreign diplomats to cancel the verdict of the Russian court as a gross interference in the internal affairs of our country,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“I reminded that in accordance with the Federal Law of May 31, 2002 No. 62-FZ on the citizenship of the Russian Federation, a citizen of the Russian Federation who also has another citizenship is considered by the Russian Federation only as a citizen of the Russian Federation, with the exception of cases stipulated by an international treaty of the Russian Federation . of the Russian Federation or federal law. There is no corresponding agreement between Russia and the United Kingdom, therefore, British references to the fact that V. Kara-Murza has British citizenship are null and void from a legal point of view in our legal field,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation declares. in a separate statement.

Russia accuses Canada of aiming for “regime change” in Moscow

Regarding the head of the Canadian diplomatic mission in Moscow, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also refers to “inadmissible public comments” regarding the condemnation of Kara-Murzaite and blames “a violent Russophobic campaign on the part of Ottawa.”

Moscow also claims that the Canadian government has made “regime change in Russia” a strategic goal of Canadian foreign policy, which “constitutes direct interference in domestic affairs.”

And the Canadian ambassador was warned of “inevitable negative consequences” for bilateral relations if “the current confrontational policy of Prime Minister Trudeau’s regime” continues and if employees of the Canadian embassy in Moscow “abuse” their diplomatic status.

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