Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Friday slammed the U.S. State Department for ignoring a question from of its TV reporters, and compared that treatment to how blacks were treated in the U.S. under Jim Crow.
“Earlier, literally several decades ago, people with different skin color were not allowed to ride on the same bus in the United States,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, according to Tass.
“It is necessary to overcome that instead of returning to the flawed practice of the early 19th century, dividing journalists into countries and nationalities,” she said.
Zahharova also warned that Russia might retaliate against U.S. reporters if the State Department keeps it up.
“This behavior is unacceptable,” she said.
“If the State Department once again dares to label our journalists who are present at press briefings ‘journalists from Russia’ and stop communicating with them because of that, we will carry out what we promised,” she said. “We will arrange special seats for the so-called journalists from the U.S. at the Foreign Ministry’s press center so that your journalists could feel this time what it is all about.”
On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert shut down a Russian TV reporter who argued with her over whether Russia was threatening to attack the U.S. in a new video that revealed a new missile technology.
“You’re from Russian TV too? OK. Enough said then, I’ll move on,” she said.
