Ukraine may suspend membership in Interpol: minister

Ukraine may suspend its membership in the Interpol if a Russian candidate is elected president of the organization, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsene Avakov said on Monday.

"Ukraine will consider suspending of its membership," Avakov wrote on Facebook.

He said that the possible presidency of Russia in Interpol is "contrary to the spirit and goals of the organization".

The Interpol, which is known as the International Criminal Police Organization, is set to elect its president on Nov. 21.

According to local media, Russian major-general Alexander Prokopchuk, who is the Interpol vice president and head of the National Central Bureau of Interpol at the Russian Interior Ministry, is seen as a frontrunner at the election.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia have deteriorated since early 2014 over Crimea and the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The global organization incorporates nearly 200 countries, which work together to fight international crime. Ukraine became a member in 1992.