Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has told US secretary of state Mike Pompeo that the Americans’ arrest of a Russian woman on allegations of being a covert agent is “unacceptable”.
US prosecutors have accused Maria Butina of working to infiltrate political organisations, including the National Rifle Association, before and after Donald Trump’s election as president in 2016.
One more Russian was arrested in the US without any plausible reason. We demand her immediate release. Let’s support her with a tag #FreeMariaButina pic.twitter.com/KBpAcLlAkT
— Dmitry Polyanskiy (@Dpol_un) July 20, 2018
Mr Lavrov “stressed the unacceptability of the actions of the US authorities who arrested Russian citizen Butina on the basis of fabricated charges, and the need for her early release”, the ministry said about the call.
The two diplomats also “exchanged views on prospects for further building relations” in the wake of the Helsinki summit involving Mr Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, the ministry said.
