Ukraine “will continue” to dismantle any pro-Russian structure or group: the presidency in Kiev said after the British accusations in Moscow that it is planning to install a pro-Russian government in place of the current Ukrainian leadership. “Our state will continue in its policy of dismantling any oligarchic and political structures that could pave the way for the destabilization of Ukraine and be complicit with the Russian occupiers,” said Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidency. The Foreign OfficeIn a statement, the British also pointed to “the former Ukrainian MP Yevhen Murayev” as the future “potential candidate” for premier of Moscow in the neighboring former Soviet republic. Murayev himself wrote in a post on Facebook: “The time of pro-Western and pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine is over forever”. Murayev’s Nashi party, whose name echoes the former vast Russian youth movement that supported President Vladimir Putin, is considered close to Moscow, but the leader has rejected this claim. Shortly before the British statement was made public, Murayev posted his face superimposed on a James Bond movie poster and the “Details Tomorrow” comment. And to the Associated Press he dubbed Great Britain’s accusations as “ridiculous”,
Moscow strongly rejected London’s accusations: “We ask the Foreign Ministry to stop spreading nonsense,” the Russian Foreign Ministry tweeted.
The United States views the British allegations as “deeply troubling ,” the White House said Saturday. “The Ukrainian people have the sovereign right to determine their own future and we are with our democratically elected partners in Ukraine,” said National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horn. As for the possibility of a military invasion, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, speaking at CNN, today reiterated that “if Russia attacks Ukraine, there will be a tough response from the United States and all its European allies. Here at stake is the defense of the principles that underlie international law. and we cannot compromise “. Responding to a question about Berlin’s refusal to support Kiev with the supply of weapons, Blinken also assured that there is no doubt “about Germany’s determination against Russia and in keeping the NATO front united in addressing the crisis to the borders of Ukraine “. Meanwhile , tension on the border between Russia and Ukraine
remains very high . Yesterday the first tranche of military aid from Washington arrived in Kiev: a 90 ton cargo that includes ammunition. Meanwhile, reports have been circulating in the US media of plans to evacuate families and non-essential personnel from the embassy. According to Fox News, the State Department ordered families to start leaving Ukraine on Monday and that next week it would invite their compatriots to leave the country. However, the news has not been confirmed by the Department. According to the German tabloid Bild, Germany is also working on a plan to evacuate the relatives of the staff of the diplomatic representation should the situation worsen. Negotiations in Geneva between Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavorv did not lead to any turning point.
In addition to the ban on Kiev’s entry into NATO, Moscow also asked for the withdrawal of the troops of the Atlantic Alliance from Bulgaria and Romania. This request was subsequently rejected by both NATO and Sofia and Bucharest. London is also entering diplomatic negotiations . Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu accepted an invitation to meet British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace for a discussion on tensions. Wallace had asked his counterpart to meet in London earlier in the week. But Shoigu proposed to meet Moscow, since the last bilateral defense agreement between the two countries took place in the British capital in 2013.
