Kremlin officials have rejected accusations that Russian soldiers killed civilians in northern Ukraine, saying images of graves and corpses had been manufactured in order to smear Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday U.S. leaders should examine their own consciences before accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of war crimes.

Sergey Lavrov: “First of all, what about those many American politicians who originated the Iraq War using well-known pretexts, who also ruined Libya together with NATO partners, who invaded Syria? Not all is well with the conscience of those politicians.”

Lavrov’s comments came as diplomatic ties between Russia and NATO members continued to deteriorate. German officials on Monday declared 40 Russian diplomats “undesirable persons” — effectively expelling them from Germany. France announced a similar move targeting 35 Russian diplomats.