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West turns Ukraine into 'criminal empire' — Russian MFA

Department director Pyotr Ilyichev poitnted to dangerous attempts by Western countries to use terrorist groups and extremist forces in order to preserve hotspots of tension

© Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS

MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/. The West has turned Ukraine into "a criminal empire," marking the height of its policy aimed at preserving hotspots of tension, Pyotr Ilyichev, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department for New Challenges and Threats, said.

"The growing conflict potential in various parts of the world is accompanied by dangerous attempts by Western countries to use terrorist groups and extremist forces in order to preserve hotspots of tension," the diplomat pointed out at the 19th meeting of chiefs of the head offices of counterterrorism units of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states and national bodies coordinating efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.

"The collective West’s policy aimed at maintaining hotspots of tension reached its peak when Ukraine was turned from a state into a criminal empire," the Russian Foreign Ministry official stressed.

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Ukraine crisis Foreign policy

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