Such actions run counter to fair competition and international rules, says the spokesperson

U.S. action against Kaspersky Lab is designed to undermine the competitive position of Russian firms worldwide and amounts to unfair competition, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

Mr. Peskov was speaking after the Trump administration on Wednesday told the U.S. government agencies to remove Kaspersky Lab products from their networks, saying it was concerned the Moscow-based cyber security firm was vulnerable to Kremlin influence and that using its anti-virus software could jeopardize national security.

“Such actions run counter to fair competition ... and international rules,” said Mr. Peskov, saying Washington's action called into question its reliability as a partner.

Mr. Peskov said the Russian government would try to support firms like Kaspersky where possible.