(Moscou) Moscou «ne pardonnera pas» aux États-Unis leur refus de delivrer des visas aux russes journalists accompagnant the chef de la diplomatie Russia, Sergueï Lavrov, Lundi and Mardi à l’ONU, a affirmed dimanche the ministre avant his départ pour New York.
Lavrov warned the press, saying, “We will not forget and we will not forgive,” denouncing the “cowardly” decision taken by Washington.
Russia holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council this month, in the midst of a military offensive in Ukraine for which it has been banned from the rest of the world.
“A country that claims to be the smartest, strongest, freest, fairest” and even did something stupid, ”Lavrov lamented, mocking that the United States, by refusing to grant visas to Russian journalists, showed, in his words, “what [leurs] Declarations on Freedom of Expression”.
His deputy minister, Sergei Ryabkov, had indicated earlier on Sunday that despite “contacts on several occasions in recent days” at Moscow’s initiative, Washington “has not issued visas” to “the journalists who are supposed to accompany Mr. Lavrov on his exodus” in the states. United.
Mr. Ryabkov criticized the “blatant and totally unacceptable approach” on the part of the Americans, denouncing the “mockery” of the United States, which, according to him, “pretends to work” in order to “find a solution”.
We will find forms to respond to this, so that Americans will remember for a long time that this did not happen. And they will remember him,” he warned.
The Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted a diplomatic source as saying that it was in retaliation, “There is no doubt that American journalists [en Russie] He will face all the “discomfort and inconvenience”, and a similar attitude “from the Russian authorities.
Since the beginning of Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, the conditions for issuing credits to the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow, on which visas depend, have already been tightened.
This new episode of tension between Moscow and Washington comes three weeks after the arrest of the American journalist in Russia, Ivan Gershkovitch, who is suspected of “espionage” by the Russian authorities, which the United States and the person concerned categorically refute.
Asked about a possible meeting at the beginning of the week between Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart, Anthony Blinken, Mr. Ryabkov declared that “this is not part of the plans” at this point.
Mr. Lavrov’s last visit to the United Nations was in New York last September, while the General Assembly was in session. On Monday, he is scheduled to meet with the head of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, before chairing a panel discussion on the Middle East the next day.
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