MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. The threat posed by international terrorism remains, actions of the West often create a breeding ground for it, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov told the Moscow Conference on International Security on Wednesday.
"The international terrorism threat persists. <…> At the same time, the actions of the West aimed at imposing ‘democratic changes’ often lay down a breeding ground to foster terrorists," he said.
Gerasimov underlined that these actions result in destruction of state institutions, while radical structures jump on the opportunity to fill in this vacuum.
"Perfect conditions are created for terrorist movements to be formed. Examples are the elimiantion of legitimate authorities in Iraq that gave rise to ISIS (outlawed in Russia - TASS)," he said, adding that the West’s actions in Libya in 2011 practically led to the country losing its state sovereignty and turning into a stronghold of terrorism and extremism. "Slave trade as well as drug and arms trafficking started thriving there. These examples can go on and on," he concluded.