US State Dept. Convoked Russia’s Charge d’Affaires Over Moscow Alleged Meddling

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Dmitry Zhirnov, the minister-counselor of the Russian Embassy in the United States, was summoned by US Assistant Secretary Wess Mitchell over allegations about the use of social media by Moscow to foment division in the United States, the State Department spokeswoman said on Sunday.

"Assistant Secretary [Wess] Mitchell convoked #Russia Chargé Zhirnov to answer for the Kremlin’s attempts to use social media accounts to promote violent and divisive causes in the U.S. – we will not tolerate this aggressive interference," spokeswoman Heather Nauert wrote on Twitter.

READ MORE: UK Needs 'British Mueller' to Assess Extent of Alleged Russia's Meddling — MP

On Thursday, the State Department spokeswoman praised Facebook’s recent decision to delete accounts run from abroad that aimed to sow division and violence in the United States. The diplomat also urged Russia and other actors to halt what she called attempts to subvert the US democratic process and instructions.

The US authorities have been accusing the Kremlin of conducting malign activities aimed at meddling in the US internal affairs, such as the 2016 presidential election, namely, with the use of social media.

Moscow has said that Russia did not interfere with other states’ internal affairs, and denied the US allegations as unfounded.