Russian Deputy Minister Accuses US of Seeking to Overthrow Putin

"It is hardly any secret that the aim sanctions is to create social and economic conditions to change [the ones in] power in Russia," a deputy minister has told Russia's lower house of Parliament, the State Duma.

"Everything" points to the fact that establishing a background which could lead to such kind of developments in our country is within Washington's foreign-policy priorities," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov believes, as quoted by TASS agency.

Ryabkov asserted that global issues could not be addressed without Russia.

In his words, Washington and Moscow are capable of molding "a positive agenda".

Last month Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also claimed that sanctions imposed on his country over the Ukraine crisis were aimed at toppling the Russian regime, a purpose the West "does not even conceal".