US: Russian diplomats charged; Russia objects

US claims that dozens of Russian diplomats and their spouses cheated to get US health care aid meant for the poor has drawn a sharp rebuke from a top Russian official who blamed the criminal case on "Russophobic forces" interested in scuttling progress toward Russia-US cooperation in confronting world conflicts.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov made the remarks yesterday, carried by Russia's state news agency, ITAR-Tass, after charges were announced in New York City against 49 current and former Russian diplomats and their wives.

He called the charges "no more than a cheap spin effort, no more than a desire to fulfill the order of Russophobic forces in the United States."

Ryabkov added: "We regret that attempt to stir up another conflict or dispute, particularly in view of the fact that Moscow and Washington recently have developed a good format of ties regarding big international issues.

We wouldn't like to make such links, but in view of reaching some results in the sphere of settling major conflicts, some people in Washington needed to spoil the atmosphere. We can only assess it this way."

Ryabkov's comments came as a State Department spokeswoman in Washington seemed to downplay the announcement by US Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan, saying the department was reviewing the just-unsealed charges and didn't believe charges against a "handful" of people would damage US-Russia relations.

Bharara said 25 current and former diplomats and 24 spouses were criminally charged in federal court in Manhattan after they underreported incomes to qualify for Medicaid funds for the indigent even as they spent tens of thousands of dollars on luxury vacations, concert tickets, fine clothing and helicopter rides.

"Diplomacy should be about extending hands, not picking pockets in the host country," Bharara told a news conference. He called it "shameful and systemic corruption." No arrests were made and only 11 of the diplomats and their spouses remained in the United States. The complaint said Medicaid, a health care program for the poor, lost about USD 1.5 million in the scheme since 2004.

The case is unlikely to go to trial because the defendants have immunity, Bharara acknowledged.

Ryabkov said Russia rejects the accusations and believes the surveillance of diplomats that led to them contradicts international law and is illegal.

He said in remarks carried by Russia's state RIA Novosti news agency that the United States should have pursued its complaints through diplomatic channels.

"We have many complaints about US diplomats in Moscow, but we aren't taking them into the public domain," Ryabkov said.