“The decision of US internet platforms to block the head of state can be compared to a nuclear blast in cyber space,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says on Facebook.
“It’s not the destruction that’s scary but the consequences,” she adds.
“A blow has been dealt against democratic values proclaimed by the West.”
US President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he tours a section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Alamo, Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended last week following the violent invasion of the US Capitol by a mob of his supporters, which disrupted the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.
Twitter went a step further by deleting Trump’s account, depriving him of his favorite megaphone.
Zakharova points to a chorus of critics in the West including German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling the Twitter ban “problematic.”
The social media ban, says Zakharova, was one more reason for US authorities to “take care” of their own country instead of criticizing Moscow.
She makes the statement after Washington expressed concern over a crackdown on independent media in Russia, among other issues.
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