NICOSIA (Sputnik) — The Ukrainian authorities are under the influence of radical forces, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday.
"The actions of the Ukrainian authorities show that they are under the strongest influence of the most radical forces in society. I mean the attacks on the languages of minorities, peoples who live in Ukraine, I mean the blocking of the work of the media and Internet resources, I also mean the attack on the church, attempts by the state to interfere in the church's affairs," Lavrov told reporters following a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart.
Russia’s relations with Ukraine and the West deteriorated sharply after Crimea rejoined Russia in 2014 and the West accused Moscow of meddling in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, imposing several rounds of sanctions on Russia.