Russia’s Foreign Ministry took to Twitter Thursday to publicize its support of alleged Russian agent Mariia Butina after she was indicted this week on conspiracy against the U.S. and acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
Using the hashtag #FreeMariaButina, the Russian MFA’s official Twitter account also urged Twitter users to change their profile photo to one with Butina’s image. So far, it appears that suggestion isn’t catching on.
#NewProfilePic#FreeMariaButina pic.twitter.com/JbNKxBLIua
— MFA Russia ?? (@mfa_russia) July 19, 2018
The Russia MFA’s endorsement of the alleged Russian agent comes on the heels of Tuesday’s indictment that accuses Butina of spending years forging connections with top conservative officials, including many associated with a “gun rights organization,” “for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation.”
On Monday, the Russia MFA retweeted President Donald Trump’s criticism of U.S.-Russia relations, blaming years of poor dialogue with Russia on his predecessors and the Russia probe.