The United States is “deeply concerned” by these accusations, borne by the British Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Le Monde with AFP
The United Kingdom has accused Saturday, January 22, Russia to “seek to install a Prorusse leader in Kiev” and “consider” to “occupy” Ukraine, after American-Russian talks who seemed to have started a relaxation. In an abrasive statement, the British Diplomacy Liz Truss has denounced “the magnitude of Russian activity to shake Ukraine”. “According to our information, the Russian government seeks to install a Prorusse leader in Kiev, while he plans to invade and occupy Ukraine,” she added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that “the former Ukrainian MP Ievgenii Mouraïev is considered a potential candidate”, but it is not the only one: Russian intelligence services maintain “links with many former men Ukrainian policies “. British diplomacy thus evokes the names of Sergui Arbouzov (the first Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2012 to 2014, then Acting Prime Minister), from Andriï Klouïev (who directed the presidential administration of the former head of the Ukrainian state Viktor Yanukovych), from Volodymyr Sivkovytch (the former Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council) or from Mykola Azarov (the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014).
“Some of them are in contact with Russian intelligence agents currently involved in planning an attack on Ukraine,” the department accuses. This scenario that Russia could seize its neighbor in this respect was described as “ineptitude” by the leader of the German Navy, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach. Comments that earned him the announcement by the German Ministry of Defense in the evening of his resignation.
“Franks” Talks
These British statements occur only a few hours after the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Choïgou had accepted a meeting with his British Ben Wallace counterpart. Mr. Choïgou suggested that the meeting take place in Moscow. This bilateral meeting, the first since 2013, aims to “explore all ways to achieve the stability and settlement of the Ukrainian crisis,” said Saturday a source at the British Ministry of Defense.
The United States considers the new British accusations “deeply worrying,” said Saturday the White House in response to the Foreign Office communiqué. “This kind of plot is deeply worrying. The Ukrainian people have the sovereign right to determine its own future, and we are alongside our democratically elected partners in Ukraine,” said Emily Horne, spokesman for the National Security Council.
Accused by the Westerners of having massaged tens of thousands of soldiers on the Ukrainian border for an attack, the Kremlin denies any bellicose intention but binds a de-escalation to treaties guaranteeing the non-enlargement of the NATO, especially to Ukraine. Unacceptable, replicate Westerners, who threaten Russia of severe penalties in case of attack.
Despite the positions for the irreconcilable moment, a relaxation had begun Friday between the Westerners and Moscow after several weeks of verbal climbing, on the occasion of talks in Geneva between the leaders of the Russian and American diplomaties, Sergei Lavrov and Antony Blinken. The two ministers agreed on Friday to continue the next week their “francs” talks, hoping to the Secretary-General of the UN Antonio Guterres that an invasion of Ukraine or a military incursion “will not happen”.