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Precise CSTO actions in Kazakhstan cause understandable irritation in the West — diplomat

According to Zakharova, the West keeps calling Russia and "aggressor state," despite the fact that the joint CSTO efforts made it possible to "stop the bloodshed" in Kazakhstan
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. The legitimate and professional actions of the CSTO forces in Kazakhstan cause an understandable irritation in the West, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview Tuesday.

"Of course, [CSTO actions in Kazakhstan] are causing annoyance [in the West]. I can very much understand that, because all Western operations have led to the opposite, to failure. I can very much understand the anger and the hatred of the people in the West currently criticizing of expressing their bewilderment regarding the CSTO actions and the Kazakhstan’s request, considering what they’ve done with Afghanistan," the diplomat said, commenting on the criticism of the CSTO peacekeeping operation in Kazakhstan.

According to Zakharova, the West keeps calling Russia and "aggressor state," despite the fact that the joint CSTO efforts made it possible to "stop the bloodshed" in Kazakhstan.

"Do you want [the West] to be happy about how well-coordinated, precise and legitimate were the actions of the states that are not part of their blocs? Of course they won’t do that, they will go out of their way to pretend that this whole story is illegitimate, illegal, that Russia was an aggressor once more," Zakharova said. "[It was] an operation that led to stabilization of the situation [in Kazakhstan], in particular - made it possible to stop the bloodshed, which, regrettably, led to a huge number of casualties".