MOSCOW. Feb 10 (Interfax) - The United States is not involved in organizing protests in Russia, and any insinuations of the kind are aimed at drawing public attention away from the right of Russians to express themselves, the United States embassy to Russia told Interfax.
"The United States is not involved in organizing protests in Moscow or across Russia. Any allegation or insinuation to the contrary is simply an attempt to draw public and media attention away from Russian citizens' efforts to peacefully express themselves," the embassy said on Wednesday in response to a request from Interfax to comment on earlier statements made by the Russian Foreign Ministry alleging that the protests in Russia have been inspired from abroad.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said earlier that a demonstration scheduled for February 14 by the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK, designated as a foreign agent in Russia) is being organized under the West's influence. She insisted that this is precisely how protests are prepared by the U.S., NATO, and EU institutions.
"We aren't just seeing this; we know. There's nothing to hide or imagine here, it's simply that classic work is being done," Zakharova said.
She also said on Tuesday that Moscow sees FBK representatives as NATO's agents of influence receiving instructions from the alliance.