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Russian Foreign Ministry: Brexit demonstrates major contradictions in EU

Some 52% of UK citizens (17.41 million people) voted on Thursday for leaving the European Union
The Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow Gennady Khameliyanin/ITAR-TASS
The Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow
© Gennady Khameliyanin/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW. June 24. /TASS. Results of the referendum in teh United Kingdom demonstrate clearly the major contradictions in the EU, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

"The referendum in the UK, where the majority of the vote supported the United Kingdom's leaving the European Union, we consider as a purely home affair of that country and the European Union," the ministry said.

"Clearly, a lot will depend on what decisions following the plebiscite will be made by the British parliament and the country's government," the ministry said in a commentary.

"Another couple of years of renouncing sovereignty in making independent decisions in international affairs and pursing the sanctions policy will be enough for the EU to lay the groundwork for all kinds of referendums on its territory," she wrote on her Facebook page commenting on the results of the UK referendum.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova does not rule out that other European Union member-countries can too mull withdrawal from the EU in the years to come.

"I would not be surprised if a universal term Whoexit? appeared soon instead of Grexit and Brexit relating to particular countries," Zakharova added.

At the June 23 referendum, some 52% of Britons voted in favor of Brexit and another 48% chose to remain in the EU.

After the announcement of the referendum results British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would resign following the defeat of European integration supporters.

Cameron also said that his Cabinet will continue to work until October when the ruling Conservative Party holds its next congress. He added that the new prime minister who will be appointed in early October should start negotiations on withdrawal from the EU.