New Ambassador United States in RussiaLynn Tracy was harassed today by a mob of people shouting anti-American slogans as she entered the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow to present her credentials.

Protesters held signs with anti-Washington messages, one of which read: “Your tanks are killing civilians.”

In Russia, protests are effectively banned, especially on issues related to the war, unless they have the support of the authorities.

Relations between Washington and Moscow are at a historic low. The United States responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by supplying Kyiv with weapons, including tanks, and imposing a package of economic sanctions on Russia in cooperation with its Western allies.

While there have been diplomatic concessions from time to time, including a prisoner exchange involving U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reid and American basketball star Britney Grainer, high-level contact between the two sides is rare.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Tracy that he expects to follow the principle of non-intervention in Russia’s internal affairs, according to the state news agency RIA Novosti.

The US Embassy said, “Ambassador Tracy is focused on maintaining dialogue between our capitals during a time of unprecedented tension, protecting the interests of American citizens detained in Russia, and nurturing ties between the American and Russian peoples.”

^{Source: APE-MEB, Reuters}