LODDON, January 22 – Britain on Saturday accused the Kremlin of seeking to deport a Pro-Russian leader to Ukraine, saying Russian intelligence police had contacted a number of Ukrainian politicians as part of a series of attacks.
The British Foreign Ministry has refused to provide evidence in support of its allegations, which came amid growing tensions between Russia and Western countries over the recruitment of Russian troops near its border with Ukraine. Moscow has insisted it has no plans to attack.
The British government has said it is aware that the Russian government views former Ukrainian ambassador Yevhen Murayev as a potential leader in Russia.
“We will not tolerate the Kremlin’s plan to install a pro-Russian leadership in Ukraine,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tweeted. “The Kremlin knows that a military coup could be a serious mistake and that the UK and its allies will incur serious costs in Russia.”
A British statement was issued Sunday morning, during Moscow and Kyiv, and there is no immediate statement from the Kremlin, or from Murayev.
A foreign ministry source said it was not a common practice to share intelligence, and details were only reduced after careful consideration to curb Russian violence.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed the comments as “disinformation”, accusing Britain and NATO of “increasing tensions” with Ukraine.
“We urge the Foreign Office to stop these provocative activities, stop spreading nonsense and finally focus on its efforts to learn the history of the Mongol-Tatar yoke,” the Department said in its confirmed Facebook account.
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The British allegations come a day after senior American and Russian politicians failed to make significant progress in negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, although they agreed to continue talking. Russia has made security demands in the United States, including suspending the NATO expansion in the east and vowing that Ukraine will never be allowed to join the Western military alliance. Learn more
U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement: “This is a very serious matter. The people of Ukraine have the right to decide for themselves their future, and we stand with our democratically elected partners in Ukraine.”
Murayev, 45, a Russian-backed politician who opposes Ukraine’s integration with Western countries. According to a poll conducted by Razumkov’s Center in December 2021, he was ranked seventh in the 2024 presidential election with a support of 6.3%.
“You made it my night. The British Foreign Office looks confused,” Murayev told the British newspaper Observer. “It does not make sense at all. I am banned in Russia. Not only that but it also took money from my father’s firm.”
Britain, which this week provided 2,000,000 archers and a team of military trainers to Ukraine, also said it was aware that Russian spies were keeping in touch with former Ukrainian “majority” politicians, including high figures linked to former President Viktor Yanukovich.
Yanukovich fled to Russia in 2014 after three months of protests against his regime and was sentenced to 13 years in prison on charges of sedition in 2019.
‘PLANNING TO ATTACK’
“Some of these are in contact with Russian intelligence officials who are currently planning to invade Ukraine,” a statement from Britain’s foreign ministry said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office on Downing Street also said the British leader was planning to step up pressure on Russia this week by asking his European counterparts to join the United States in tackling Russian violence.
Earlier, the RIA news agency reported that British Foreign Minister Truss would visit Moscow in February to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, while Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his British counterpart Ben Wallace also agreed to hold talks.