Russia seeking to replace Ukraine government, claims UK

UK said that Yevhen Murayev, a former Ukrainian MP, is a candidate to lead the pro-Kremlin government

The UK says it has information that Moscow is plotting to install a pro-Russian leader in Kyiv, as fears of an invasion of Ukraine persist.

 

The assertions, offered without a timeline on the intelligence, were contained in a UK Foreign Office statement late on Saturday.

 

Yevhen Murayev, a former Ukrainian member of parliament, is a potential candidate, according to the statement. In Washington, a National Security Council spokeswoman called the alleged plotting “deeply concerning.”

 

President Joe Biden also met with his national security team on Saturday to discuss continued Russian aggression toward Ukraine, according to a White House official.

 

The UK said it had information that the Russian intelligence services maintain links with “numerous” former Ukrainian politicians. It mentioned four by name who are already subject to Western sanctions. The men, who left Ukraine in 2014, are believed to reside in Russia.

 

The assertions precede a UK drive to ramp up pressure on Russia, with the defense and foreign secretaries set to travel to Europe for talks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will schedule calls with Group of Seven leaders next week to finalize additional sanctions on backers of President Vladimir Putin, according to UK government officials. 

 

At the meeting Saturday, Biden was briefed on Russia’s military buildup along the Ukrainian border and discussed the range of options for the US and its allies, the White House official said.

 

“President Biden again affirmed that should Russia further invade Ukraine, the United States will impose swift and severe consequences on Russia with our allies and partners,” the official said.

 

Last week, the U.S. said Russian actors were preparing potential sabotage operations against their own forces and fabricating provocations on social media to justify an invasion into Ukraine.

 

US military aid started arriving in Ukraine on Friday “in the face of growing Russian aggression,” the US Embassy in Kyiv said on Twitter. The UK is also sending supplies.