Russia has revealed that the United States submitted two official appeals for information on possible Kremlin interference in the country's presidential elections in 2016.
The first request was sent a week before the elections in November last year, the deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council, Oleg Khramov, told the Kommersant newspaper.
He described the appeal as a “vaguely-worded” document which repeated media reports on possible Russian meddling.
A more detailed request, describing specific IP addresses and evidence of a cyber-attack, was given to Moscow in early 2017, Khramov said.
He claimed that the Kremlin gave the U.S. government "exhaustive answers, including a technical plan," and that Washington had not sought to follow up on the information.
Khramov refused to comment on allegations of Russian interference, but said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had already made clear that Russia “did not interfere in the internal affairs of other states.”
U.S. intelligence agencies accused the Kremlin of orchestrating a cyber-attack on the Democratic National Convention in 2016, alleging that government-backed hackers had released thousands of private e-mails into the public domain in a bid to sway public support away from presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.
The Kremlin has denied all claims.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.