Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that the Islamic State (ISIS) group was Moscow's greatest enemy, notwithstanding the strained relations with the United States over the Ukraine conflict.
"I believe ISIS is our greatest enemy right now," Lavrov said in an interview with Russian radio stations when asked whether he considers China, ISIS or NATO Russia's greatest threat.
Lavrov said "hundreds of Russian citizens, hundreds of Europeans, hundreds of Americans are fighting for ISIS, along with CIS (former Soviet) countries."
"They are already returning home. They come here to rest after fighting and can get up to dirty tricks at home," he said.
ISIS terrorists have indeed threatened to attack Russia, with fighters last September warning Putin that they will wage operations in Russia.
A senior aide to Putin last December made the outrageous claim that Israel is training ISIS, as is the US.
"As far as (relations with the) United States are concerned, these are state issues, these are issues of the world order, which have to be resolved through talks," concluded Lavrov.
Russia's relations with the West, particularly with the United States, have plummeted to a post-Cold War low over Russia's invasion of parts of Ukraine, which resulted in sanctions being imposed over Moscow's role in supporting pro-Russian militants in the country.