Moscow has slammed the US for its decision to issue visas to Russian journalists to travel to the UN Security Council meeting. “We will not forget, we will not forgive”, said Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday before his departure for New York. He spoke of a “cowardly” decision by Washington.
In the midst of its military offensive in Ukraine, Russia took over the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in April, which was sharply criticized by Kiev. Lavrov will chair several sessions of the highest UN body at the UN headquarters in New York. According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Riabkov, the United States had “not issued visas” to journalists who wanted to accompany Lavrov on his trip to the United States, despite “multiple contacts in the past few days”.
This is one “scandalous and absolutely unacceptable method”said Riabkov. Russia will find ways “to respond so that Americans will remember for a long time that this is not possible,” he added, according to Russian news agencies. A diplomatic source, quoted by RIA Novosti news agency, announced that US journalists would face “inconvenience and inconvenience” in Russia.
The announcements came three weeks after US journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia. The Russian authorities have accused the 31-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter of espionage, which he categorically denies. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. (AFP)
