Brussels: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that the US supports the "rights and aspirations" of Russians.
Clinton's latest statement came two days after her comments on the Russian parliamentary elections triggered criticism from Moscow, Xinhua reported.
"We expressed concerns that we saw were well-founded about the conduct of the elections," Clinton told reporters in Brussels.
"And we are supportive of the rights and aspirations of the Russian people to be able to make progress and to realise better future for themselves. And we hope to see that unfold in the years ahead," she said.
On Tuesday, Clinton said that the Sunday's Russian Duma elections were "neither free nor fair."
The Russian foreign ministry said Clinton's comment was "unacceptable" and asked the US to refrain from interfering in Russia's internal affairs.
IANS
First Published: Thursday, December 08, 2011, 22:50