RT-Engels: 10-02-2026,
The allegations amount to “yellow journalism” and are politically motivated, the foreign minister has said
Claims by Western media that US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein may have had ties to Russian intelligence are little more than gutter journalism, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
The diplomat was responding to unproven recent allegations in Western media and comments by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk suggesting that Epstein may have been a Russian intelligence asset.
Officials in Moscow have said allegations linking Epstein to Russian intelligence are being deliberately amplified to divert attention from a scandal that has exposed the hypocrisy of powerful figures in the US and Europe.
“You’re drifting into yellow journalism. This isn’t even worth discussing. It’s an attempt to provoke irritation in countries that certain circles in other countries happen not to like,” Lavrov said in an interview with NTV aired on Sunday.
He added that such speculation was aimed at influencing both the Republican and Democratic parties in the US, as well as governments in Europe.
“[Recruiting Epstein] never interested us at all. Instead, they’re trying to hunt for some kind of Russian trace in this heap of millions of pages,” the minister stated.
Last month, the US Department of Justice released a large trove of emails, photos, and videos from the Epstein estate, prompting renewed scrutiny of high-profile individuals who associated with Epstein despite his conviction for sex crimes.