Russia’s foreign ministry warned the new US ambassador to Moscow on Tuesday that it would begin expelling her staff if the embassy continued to criticize the war in Ukraine on its social media accounts, state media reported reportedciting a high-ranking source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As reported by RIA Novosti, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a message to US Ambassador Lynne Tracy about the “malicious” spread of “incorrect statements about the Russian leadership and false information about its armed forces” on the Internet.
“Russia does not intend to put up with the crazy anti-Russian propaganda, which is reproduced by the information resources of the US Embassy, and intends to use all available means to neutralize it,” – quoted an unnamed Russian source.
“American diplomats were warned about attempts to carry out subversive work, recruiting “agents of influence” to sow discord and discord in Russian society and incite anti-state speeches,” they added.
The Russian Foreign Ministry warned Tracy that American diplomats accused of meddling in Moscow’s affairs would be expelled “regardless of their positions.”
The US embassy has been outspoken in its criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its crackdown on free speech on its Twitter and Facebook pages since the Kremlin sent troops to its western neighbor nearly a year ago.
Tracy, the first woman to serve as the US ambassador to Moscow, arrived in Moscow at a time when bilateral relations between the countries were at an all-time low and looked set to worsen due to the Kremlin’s continued incursion into Ukraine.