MOSCOW (AP) — The spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry has taken a swipe at the raucous U.S. presidential primaries campaign, suggesting that the candidates should pay less attention to Russia and more to domestic problems.

Maria Zakharova said at a Friday briefing that "we have noted that the topic of Russia, the Russian political establishment, is raised by certain persons practically every day. I have the impression that without us they couldn't conduct an election."

Zakharova said she is "more than convinced that the American people have many real problems that interest them: issues of social support, medical insurance, the participation of American troops in legitimate — and, unfortunately, illegitimate — operations abroad."

"That's what they should concentrate on," she said.