Kremlin: Indictment shows no evidence of Russian meddling

Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The Kremlin on Monday dismissed the indictments handed down by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller last week, saying the charges show no proof Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the charges against 13 individuals and three companies are groundless and do not include any proof of meddling.

"We still insist that this evidence has no grounds and we don't consider it overwhelming, we don't regard it as fair and cannot agree with it," Peskov told reporters on Monday.

Peskov added that Russia "has neither meddled, nor does it have a practice of interfering in domestic affairs of other states."

"First, we haven't seen any significant evidence so far that someone has meddled in America's domestic affairs," he said. "Second, the matter in question pertains to Russian citizens, but we have heard Washington accusing the Russian state, the Kremlin and the Russian government of being complicit.

"There have been no indications whatsoever that the Russian state could have been involved in this."

The Department of Justice announced the charges Friday.

The indictment says Russian propagandists conspired in an effort to favor then-Republican candidate Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton. The charges are part of a months-long investigation into the matter at the Justice Department.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.