MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Monday that long-standing Western accusations that Russia commits sabotage in the U.S. and Europe are “empty and ephemeral” and have not been proven.
It made the comments when asked to comment on reports that the U.S. had suspended certain measures to counter such alleged Russian sabotage campaigns.
“No confirmation of the existence of sabotage campaigns has been established even in the course of special proceedings that have been attempted in the United States and in European capitals,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Peskov said that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was merely trying to get rid of “everything ineffective, corrupt and implausible,” something he said was “understandable.”
The United States and its NATO allies have repeatedly accused Russia of conducting sabotage campaigns in the West, including against energy infrastructure.
Britain’s foreign spy chief Richard Moore in November accused Russia of waging a “staggeringly reckless campaign” of sabotage in Europe.
Three Bulgarians were found guilty in a London court on Friday of being part of a Russian spy unit run by Wirecard fugitive Jan Marsalek to carry out surveillance on a U.S. military base and other individuals targeted by Moscow.
Russia has consistently denied its involvement in sabotage planning or attacks.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
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