The Russian leader earlier accused the U.S. and Ukraine of a joint effort to deploy mercenaries in Belarus to sow unrest.
The U.S. State Department has reacted to the statement voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin about the alleged involvement of American intelligence in the emergence of the Russian Private Military Company Wagner's troops in Belarus.
Putin has accused Ukrainian and U.S. intelligence agencies of a joint effort to deploy Wagner troops in Belarus as a "strike force to destabilize" the country during the elections, Voice of America reported.
The U.S. is aware of reports of Russia's use of puppet forces, said State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, according to a report by Voice of America's Ukrainian service, delivered in Ukrainian.
Such spins shift public focus away from the actual problem, which Russia is using these forces to cover up own stubborn efforts to embarrass other governments, deepen internal divisions, support autocrats, and sow chaos in order to give Russia the opportunity to influence events globally, according to the U.S. State Department's speaker.
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Ortagus also noted that the United States supports the right of the Belarusian people to elect their leaders through truly free and fair elections with independent observers, and beyond the influence of the Russian special services.
Moscow's impudent use of Wagner PMC mercenaries worldwide enriches the Russian elite, harming the countries where it operates. Russia’s use of influence campaigns to weaken opponents and muffle the voice of the people is unacceptable, Ortagus said, according to VOA's report.