MOSCOW: Moscow said on Tuesday it had summoned the United States, Canadian, and British ambassadors for “gross interference” in the domestic affairs of Russia.
Russia’s foreign ministry did not say clearly why the ambassadors were called in, but Moscow already criticized them for their statement denouncing a twenty-five-year sentence to Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza on Monday.
The foreign ministry said in a statement that envoys were summoned for gross interference in the internal affairs of Russia and activities that do not correspond to their diplomatic status.
On Monday, the key opposition politician Kara-Murza, also holding British citizenship, was sentenced to twenty-five years behind bars on treason and other charges for criticizing the Ukraine operation.
The Canadian ambassador, Alison LeClaire, said that today’s verdict is a sad testimony to the dark turn the struggle for democracy has come to.
Moscow’s strong reaction
Maria Zakharova, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, implied the ambassadors would be summoned “to refresh their memories, so they remember what envoys should and should not do.
The Russia-Ukraine war has created problems in Moscow’s relations with the Western capitals. The US, UK, European Union (EU), Japan and Australia, among others, have all backed Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weapons, military tools and humanitarian aid.
Many NATO allies are arming Kyiv with weaponry capable of repelling Russia’s troops.
Russia’s main backer is its close ally and neighbour Belarus. Its military used Belarusian territory as a launchpad for the aggression.
Russia’s ex-Soviet Central Asian allies have adopted a careful approach. Over the year, most states have called for peace and kept diplomatic relations with Russia.
At the same time, many nations – such as China, Turkey, and India – have avoided fully supporting either side.
