“We demand from the US authorities to take effective measures”: the Russian embassy announced threats after the publication of NYT

Russian diplomats in Washington and London began to receive threats after the publication in the newspaper The New York Times of material containing unfounded accusations against Moscow regarding the situation in Afghanistan. This was reported in the press service of the Russian Embassy in the United States.

The article mentioned, citing anonymous sources, that Russian military intelligence allegedly offered rewards to Taliban * militants for attacks and killings of American soldiers.

The diplomatic mission said that in the absence of reasons to “blame the Russians,” the publication is generating new fake stories that would serve this purpose. At the same time, real information about cooperation between Russia and the United States on a settlement in Afghanistan and in other areas is ignored.

In the absence of reasons to #BlameRussians, @nytimes is there to invent new fake stories. @ Mschwirtz @ EricSchmittNYT @ charlie_savage obviously lack information on cooperation between Russia and #US on the Afghan peace process, on Syrian, North Korean, Venezuelan, Iranian agendas pic.twitter.com/tqO7hVRVGv

“Moscow’s groundless and anonymous accusations of organizing the killing of American soldiers in Afghanistan by The New York Times have already led to direct threats to the lives of Russian embassies in Washington and London,” the Russian diplomatic mission said on Twitter.

In this regard, diplomats called on the media to stop producing fake news that provokes a threat to life.

“We demand that the relevant US authorities take effective measures to ensure the full implementation of their international obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961,” the embassy says, after which the official accounts of the State Department, the FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security are marked in the text .

Stop producing #fakenews that provoke life threats, @nytimes.

We demand the relevant #US authorities take effective measures to ensure the fulfillment of their international obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. @ StateDept @ FBI @ DHSgov ⬇️ https://t.co/Ows7srg3IH

Apparently, this refers to article 29 of the Vienna Convention, which states that the identity of a diplomatic agent is inviolable, and the host state should treat him with due respect and take all appropriate measures to prevent any encroachment on his personality, freedom or dignity .

Screenshots of several Twitter posts are attached to the publication of the embassy of the Russian Federation in the USA, in one of which the user suggests appointing a “reward” for Russian diplomats.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the publication of The New York Times a fake and a “simple stuffing,” which clearly illustrates the "low intellectual ability of propagandists from American intelligence" who have to come up with "such nonsense."

“We drew attention to the next information fake launched by the American intelligence community into the media about the alleged involvement of Russian military intelligence in the contract killings of US troops in Afghanistan,” RIA Novosti reports.

The Foreign Ministry reminded that in Afghanistan “the involvement of members of the American intelligence community in drug trafficking, cash payments to militants for the passage of transport caravans and other similar activities has not been a secret for a long time”.

“The list of their actions can be continued if desired. It doesn’t seem like much ... Maybe the American intelligence officers don’t like the fact that our and their diplomats jointly contribute to launching peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban? ”, The Foreign Ministry added.

According to The New York Times, citing unnamed sources, the American intelligence community allegedly came to the conclusion that the Russian side was involved in the death of American soldiers in Afghanistan. According to the newspaper, in 2019, 20 US troops were killed in Afghanistan, but journalists find it difficult to indicate how many of these cases are considered suspicious in Washington.

According to the publication, the relevant data was partially obtained during interrogations of captured Afghan militants. However, details of the alleged operations are not provided. Any other evidence of the theory put forward by journalists in the material is also not indicated.

NYT also writes that information about the "rewards" for attacks on American soldiers in Afghanistan was allegedly brought to the attention of the White House, but no reaction has yet been followed.

The newspaper also cites a statement by the press secretary of Russian President Dmitry Peskov. From the words attributed to him, it follows that Moscow is not aware of such allegations, but if they are officially voiced, a response from the Russian side will follow.

We add that in early June, the Republicans of the lower house of the US Congress proposed introducing "the toughest sanctions that have ever been adopted against Russia." The basis for this was a report prepared by the Republican Research Center, the authors of which propose recognizing Russia as the "sponsor of terrorism" for supporting a number of organizations, including the Taliban.

The Kremlin in response expressed regret over the “new impulses” that some members of the American establishment are forming, and also expressed the hope that the proposed new sanctions against Russia will not be adopted.

* “Taliban” - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of February 14, 2003.