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The Russian government has claimed that former President Donald Trump is being politically targeted in the United States.

Following Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in his hush-money case, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused the United States of orchestrating a campaign to eliminate Trump as a political contender. Initially hesitant to comment on the Manhattan case, Peskov later said that there is an “obvious” effort to remove Trump through any means necessary.

Peskov said, “We do not like it very much when somebody from the outside world says something about the decision of our courts. And we, in turn, try not to comment. But in general, if we talk about Trump, there is a de facto elimination of political rivals by all possible legal and illegal means, it is obvious. The whole world can see it with the naked eye.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has faced accusations of suppressing political dissent, also criticized the legal actions against Trump. Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin described the charges as evidence of the “rottenness” of the American political system, claiming it undermines the U.S.’s authority to promote democracy globally.

Trump’s conviction by a New York jury for falsifying business records to hide alleged affairs during the 2016 presidential campaign marks his first guilty verdict in a criminal case. His sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention.