Sergei Lavrov
© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS
MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. Attempts to recruit Russian diplomats by foreign intelligence services, in particular the us, do not stop, Russia believes that such methods are unacceptable. This was stated by Minister of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov in interview to the program “week” on NTV.
“There are times when some of our partners are biting at the bit, decide for some reason to punish us as it was with the 35 diplomats who were sent to (former) US President Barack Obama, picking on us for something a grudge, perhaps, for the defeat of the Democratic candidate, which is even impossible to imagine,” – said Lavrov.
“Approaches to our diplomats with offers to recruit them and go to a cooperative relationship do not stop, – said the Minister. They did not stop even at the best of times, including in the United States and European countries.”
“Very often it is done unceremoniously, in the presence of family members, – said Lavrov. – This, of course, should be treated as unacceptable methods”.
The Russian foreign Minister recalled that last year under the Obama administration “had a few of those approaches.” “Every time we pay attention to it, – said Lavrov. – Instead they complain of the hurt of their diplomats. But here how the work of American diplomats, is a separate issue. They have a much more comfortable mode of activity, rather than the regime that they have created in the last couple of years around our Embassy and our consular offices in the United States.”
The protection of embassies
The Russian foreign Minister also did not rule out that the list of Russian embassies, which provide special purpose units, can be expanded.