Moscow [Russia], April 24 : Amid the tension between Russia and the United States over the Ukraine crisis, Moscow claimed that the Biden administration denied visas to journalists who wanted to cover the upcoming trip of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the UN.
Reacting to the incident, Lavrov said, "Of course, I am aware how well our American colleagues are known for such things but I was sure that this time it would be different, considering the focus placed on their ugly behaviour. I was mistaken," according to the statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"The country that calls itself the strongest, the smartest, the freest and the most just, has behaved in a cowardly and stupid fashion by showing what its asseverations about protecting freedom of speech and access to information are really worth," he added.
He further stated that Russia will have to work, show more energy, and put more effort into bringing the truth to the world community and the public.
Lavrov warned and said, "Be sure that we will not forget or forgive."
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier on Sunday that no American visas had been issued to Russian journalists, according to TASS News Agency.
According to TASS News Agency citing her Telegram channel, Zakharova cited the US embassy as saying that they were "working on this." She slammed this situation as a "mpulation of the freedom of speech and infringement on the rights of journalists."
"I have said more than once that we should think about re-locating the UN headquarters from New York to another country whose authorities would not assert themselves in such a disgusting way. And the situation with journalists gives another reason for that," said Leonid Slutsky, chair of the international committee of the Russian State Duma (lower parliament house) and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), reported TASS News Agency.
He stressed that this is not the first time when the United States "abuses its status of the UN host nation and denies visas both to members of the Russian delegation and those who accompany it for the participation in the United Nations events."
"This time, the 'victims' of the United States' visa 'repressions' are Russian journalists," he added.
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