The conflict between Western nations and Russia amounts to "total war", Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday during a meeting with Russian regional leaders.

He noted that the Russian society and key political groups back the government's determination to meet this challenge.

Western nations “are doubling, tripling, and quadrupling their efforts to deter our nation. They use a wide array of tools, from unilateral economic sanctions to deceitful propaganda in the global media,” Lavrov said, noting that “low-level Russophobia, which to our deepest regret is promoted by several governments, has risen to unprecedented levels.”

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“The West has declared total war against us, against the entire Russian world. Nobody even hides this fact now,” Lavrov stated.

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According to the Foreign Minister, Russia responded to the pressure by uniting "all healthy patriotic forces" and increasing public support for Russia's foreign policy.

Lavrov also noted that the crisis exposed the true nature of the promises given to Russia 30 years ago, after the collapse of the USSR. “We now see the value of all the talk about universal values and the need to turn Europe into a common home from the Atlantic to the Pacific.”

"No one should have illusions about the attitude of the US and its allies towards Russia," he added.

The senior diplomat was speaking at a Foreign Ministry council meeting attended by all Russian regional chiefs. The advisory council meets regularly to explore how the diplomatic corps might help various regions of the country. As Foreign Minister, Lavrov would chair the council.

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Five Croatian Embassy personnel personae non-gratae

In response to Zagreb's earlier actions, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Croatian Ambassador in Moscow on Friday, expressed strong objection, and labeled five employees of the Croatian Embassy in Moscow personae non-gratae.

"On May 27, the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Russian Federation, Tomislav Car, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, a strong protest was expressed to him in connection with the groundless attempts of the Croatian authorities to blame Russia for war crimes in Ukraine and the provision of military assistance by the Croatian side to the neo-Nazi Kiev regime," the statement says.

"In response to the unfriendly steps taken earlier by Zagreb to reduce the size of the Russian diplomatic mission, Car was handed a note declaring five employees of the Croatian Embassy in Moscow personae non-gratae," the Ministry added.