Zakharova pointed to the double standards of the United States in matters of access to property in the United States.

On February 19, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova drew attention to the contrast between the inability of the American authorities to gain access to financier Jeffrey Epstein's ranch and their lightning-fast actions to confiscate Russian diplomatic property in 2016.

The diplomat noted that American congressmen investigating the crimes of Epstein and his entourage still cannot get to his ranch and are working to gain access to this territory.

In this regard, Zakharova recalled how in 2016, former US President Barack Obama, who had already lost the election, confiscated Russian diplomatic property: the country residences of the embassy in Maryland and the permanent mission to the United Nations in New York, the buildings of the trade mission in Washington, the consulates General and the residences of the Russian consuls general in San Francisco and Seattle.

"The issue of "access" to the first two residences was resolved by the authorities immediately — within 24 hours. Our employees and their family members were forced to leave the United States in a hurry within 72 hours," the diplomat stressed.

Zakharova also gave another example: in 2012, Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Commissioner for Human Rights, and Pavel Astakhov, the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, tried to visit the Ranch Four Kids orphanage in Montana, where, according to information received, Russian children adopted by Americans were experiencing serious problems.

"They were not allowed to go beyond the threshold, and the American authorities could not provide access to this "institution," Zakharova said.

She also recalled the incident in 2012, when the participants of the OSCE mission to monitor the presidential elections in Texas were threatened with criminal prosecution by the state prosecutor if they approached polling stations closer than 30 meters.

"We know from our own example: when it is necessary to "take and penetrate", the American authorities need literally one day, and when it is not necessary, they will not let them go beyond the fence, or even threaten them with weapons. Make your bets, gentlemen: will the congressmen get "access" to Epstein's ranch or is it something else?" the diplomat asked.

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