Russia says US not 'beacon of democracy'

MOSCOW - The United States and its allies with numerous problems at home cannot and should not claim that they are a "beacon of democracy," the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

The Western countries have many "chronic problems" regarding freedom of speech, election administration, corruption and human rights, the ministry said in a statement, commenting on the upcoming US "summit for democracy."

The ministry pointed out to the "hypocrisy" at the core of this summit to be held on Dec 9-10 at the initiative of the US administration.

"We urge all foreign partners not to engage in 'democratization,' not to draw new dividing lines, but to return to the observance of international law and to recognize in practice the principle of the sovereign equality of states, enshrined in the UN Charter," it read.

Russian officials and experts have criticized the so-called summit for being "chimerical" and only beneficial to US geopolitical interests.