Kremlin rejects accusations of meddling in UK election
MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin on Friday “categorically” rejected allegations of interfering in a 2019 U.K. election and said the claims will negatively impact Russia's relations with Britain.
“We consistently, categorically deny any possible involvement of the Russian Federation in interfering in any country's elections, including the U.K.,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
The British government accused “Russian actors” on Thursday of seeking to interfere in its last general election.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a written statement to lawmakers that it is “almost certain” that the unnamed individuals “sought to interfere” in the December 2019 election by amplifying online “illicitly acquired and leaked government documents.” Raab also said there was an “ongoing criminal investigation” into how the documents were obtained.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday slammed Raab’s statement as “vague and contradictory” and called on the U.K. to “produce facts” supporting the allegations.
“On the one hand, there is no proof, on the other, some possible retaliatory measures are mentioned,” Zakharova said at her weekly media briefing. “These are mutually exclusive things.”
Peskov said Friday that the accusations will “negatively impact the bilateral Russia-U.K. relations,” adding that “the British side can hardly do anything to exacerbate the nature of bilateral relations."
