OREANDA-NEWS  Ukraine could have become the economic pearl and "breadwinner" of Europe, if not for the intervention of the European Union (EU) countries, which "perverted" it. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, RIA Novosti reports.

"They at home, they undermined the situation in a country that had every chance of becoming a real breadwinner at the expense of its resource base. Ukraine, which had every opportunity to become... It would be almost the economic pearl of the center of Europe if they treated it that way. But instead they perverted her, raped her, and now they're finishing her off," the diplomat said.

According to Zakharova, it is for this reason that European countries are now facing an increase in the number of migrants and refugees from Ukraine.

She also stressed that Ukraine's financial support creates additional internal problems for Europe, in particular in the social and educational spheres. "But why can't they say that this money, which should have covered their problems, or at least prevented their problems from developing to such an extent, is not being sent for the noble purpose of helping others, but also to aggravate the situation on their own European continent," the speaker added.

Earlier, Zakharova said that the EU's plans to help Ukraine through Russia's frozen assets were linked to the exhaustion of its own resources. "They have nothing left in their leaky budgets. However, it is not possible to agree on the legalization of theft," she stressed.