MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. Russia sees an opportunity to improve the situation with the influx of refugees in Europe primarily in stepping up and coordinating international effort to find a political solution to the ongoing armed conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa and in combating international terrorism, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Friday answering a question from Kuwait’s Kuna news agency concerning the refugee problem.

"Realization of the root causes of this crisis that lie in the short-sighted Western policy of the unconditional support of the Arab Spring, export of democracy is gradually gaining the upper hand in Europe," she noted. "We need to take into account and avoid repetition of the mistakes that have actually led to the massive exodus of refugees to Europe."

"It is important that European politicians avoid populism and loud statements that are not backed by anything as well as political speculations on this sensitive and crucial issue," Zakharova said.