The Kremlin has officially labeled the United States as an “enemy” state for the first time, reflecting the deteriorating relations between Moscow and Washington.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated, “We are now an enemy country for them, just as they are for us.”
Agentstvo, an independent Russian investigative website, confirmed that Russia had never previously designated the US as an enemy.
The remarks were in response to claims by Scott Ritter, a former US Marine Corps intelligence officer, who stated he was prevented from traveling to Russia.
Ritter, who was convicted of sex offenses in the past, had his passport confiscated by US border officials as he attempted to fly from New York to Istanbul, en route to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia.
Ritter shared his experience with TASS, a Russian news agency, describing how he was removed from his flight and barred from continuing his journey.
Peskov addressed this incident during the briefing, attributing it to “the latest manifestation of the rabid campaign” aimed at hindering Americans from engaging with Russia.
He suggested that the move could be understandable only if it related to Ritter’s former intelligence role.