Insinuating that Russian businessman, Yevgeny Prigozhin, allegedly interfered in the 2016 US election with the assistance of the Internet Research Agency is nothing but a mockery of American democracy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Slovak newspaper Pravda.
"Can anyone truly believe that a restaurant-owner from Russia (Prigozhin - TASS) could influence an election in such a powerful country as the United States by publishing some posts on social media?" the Russian top diplomat said. "The idea itself makes the entire US political system look ridiculous by presenting democracy there as a house of cards."
The top diplomat noted that the Internet Research Agency, which is controlled by Prigozhin, is facing charges and is challenging them in US courts. "[Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin already commented on it publicly. This is not about Russia’s involvement," he noted.
"If we look at America, few care about what George Soros is up to," the minister went on. "Try and ask the Department of State, and the answer will be: it’s his personal business, and American authorities have no connection to it. Besides, he isn’t violating any laws."
The Russian foreign minister reiterated that 20 years ago Moscow suggested discussing cyber security issues at UN venues. "Right now, our country is tirelessly calling on the global community at various venues to adopt a resolution at the upcoming UN General Assembly session that contains rules for states’ responsible behavior in the information space," he concluded. "We presume that this document, in particular, curbs any attempts to encroach on state sovereignty in the digital sphere."
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