Russia Says It Will Not Meddle in US Elections

Shortly after the assessment was released, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, dismissed the claims as anti-Russia fear-mongering.

“As they say it in the West, it is ‘highly likely’ that this piece is a compilation of outright speculations, gossips, and Russophobic outbursts,” Mr. Antonov was quoted as saying on the Russian Embassy’s Telegram channel.

At the same time, he said that Russia is “not surprised by such insinuations” and that “they are rooted in the administration’s insecurities about the correctness and efficiency of methods of resolving problems both at home and at the international arena.”

Mr. Antonov took a swipe at the United States’ domestic and foreign policy travails, claiming that President Joe Biden and his administration are scapegoating Moscow because they are “losing their position of a world hegemon.”

At the World Youth Festival on March 6, Mr. Peskov claimed that many countries were discussing how to question the legitimacy of the outcome of Russia’s presidential elections, which are scheduled to take place next week.

“We never tell anyone how to live, but we don’t want to be told either. And so, of course, we will suppress any attempts to interfere in our elections,” Mr. Peskov said, according to Russian state-run news agency Tass.

The Kremlin, and others, have on numerous occasions criticized the United States for using its military and covert operations to topple or prop up foreign governments.

U.S. backing of the 2014 uprising in Ukraine that ousted its pro-Russian leader and installed a pro-Western president has been labeled by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and others, as a key precursor of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

‘No Anti-American Sentiments’

At the youth event, the Kremlin spokesperson had words of praise for the American people—while denouncing the country’s senior political leadership for its supposed insolence.

“We have no anti-American sentiments,” Mr. Peskov said. “We do not like American senior officials and politicians who keep insulting our president.”

While Mr. Peskov didn’t elaborate, President Biden in 2021 famously called Mr. Putin a “killer” and vowed that he would “pay a price” for allegedly interfering in the 2020 U.S. elections.

Shortly after President Biden’s “killer” remark, Mr. Peskov said it was “churlish” and a “huge shame” for the United States, but noted that Mr. Putin brushed it off.

More recently, President Biden called his Russian counterpart a “crazy SOB” in a statement about threats to the world, including the risk of a nuclear holocaust.

Asked about the U.S. president’s latest critical remark in an interview on Russian state television, Mr. Putin said simply, “We are ready to work with any president.”

While speaking at the World Youth Festival, Mr. Peskov pushed back against criticism of Russia’s political affairs, claiming that its democracy is the “best of the best.”