On Sunday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry dismissed claims made by the United Kingdom (UK) that the Kremlin is trying to install former Ukrainian politician Yevheniy Murayev, among a list of other Ukrainians, as a potential pro-Russian candidate to replace the current President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In a statement on Telegram, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called out the UK, asking the British Foreign Office to “stop provocative activities, stop spreading nonsense.” Zakharova added, “The disinformation spread by the British Foreign Office is more evidence that it is the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries, led by the Anglo-Saxons, who are escalating tensions around Ukraine.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the UK’s statements are empty and groundless and added that Russia does not pose a threat to anyone.
While speaking to Russian state-owned news outfit TASS, an official at the Russian embassy in London asked the UK to make “real diplomatic efforts” for European security, instead of promoting “foolish rhetorical provocations” that can be dangerous amid rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
Speaking to AP, Murayev rejected Britain’s claims, calling them “ridiculous and funny,” because he had been banned from entering Russia since 2018 after Kremlin deemed him to be a security threat. Slamming the UK, Murayev said, “Everything that does not support the pro-Western path of development of Ukraine is automatically pro-Russian.” Furthermore, Murayev mentioned that his stance about the ongoing conflict in the Donbas region is neutral as supporting NATO would only continue the war.
On Saturday, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss issued a statement titled “Kremlin plan to install pro-Russian leadership in Ukraine exposed.” The UK named Murayev as the top contender for Russia’s plans in a list that included former Ukrainian politicians Serhiy Arbuzov, Andriy Kluyev, Vladimir Sivkovich and Mykola Azarov.
Truss accused the listed individuals of having contact with Russian intelligence and planning an attack on Ukraine. Truss also said that the information “shines a light on the extent of Russian activity designed to subvert Ukraine, and is an insight into Kremlin thinking.” However, according to AP, Britain has failed to provide evidence to back up its claims.
The UK’s allegations come in light of Moscow stationing over 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border leading to a possible Russian invasion. The UK, in a Transatlantic Quad meeting last Thursday, affirmed support for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity amid increasing Russian hostility. Last week, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced that London will be arming Kyiv with “light anti-armor defensive weapon systems” that are purely for self-defence purposes and pose no threat to Russia.