The Russian foreign ministry attacked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday over his claim that Russian air strikes in Syria had undermined last week's peace talks to end the country's five-year war.
"We have always considered and continue to consider that comments from the chief administrator of an global organization...should remain impartial and objective," the ministry said in a statement.
Ban had "practically" accused Russia of leading to the collapse of the talks, it added. "This is clearly not what happened."