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Tanks on maneuvers in southern Russia
Photo: AP
The British government has accused Moscow of wanting to put a pro-Russian leader in power in Ukraine.
"We have information that indicates that the Russian government is trying to install a pro-Russian leader in Kiev," such as ex-Prime Minister Yevgeny Murayev, the British Foreign Office said on Saturday.
Moscow is also considering occupying Ukraine.
You can read the statement by the British Foreign Office here: Kremlin plan to install pro-Russian leadership in Ukraine exposed
This communication from the British Foreign Office mentions other names such as
Sergei Arbuzov
, Deputy Prime Minister from 2012 to 2014 and then Interim Prime Minister,
Andriy Kluyev
, former head of the presidential office of ex-head of state Viktor Yanukovych,
Volodymyr Zivkovych
, former Assistant to the National Security Council and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine,
as well as
Mykola Azarov
, Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014.
"Some of them are in contact with Russian intelligence officials who are currently involved in planning an attack on Ukraine," the Foreign Office said in London.
It was not specified where the information came from.
West fears a major attack
Shortly before, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had accepted an invitation from his British colleague Ben Wallace to a meeting.
The British Foreign Office's allegations are likely to cast doubt on the planned meeting.
Russia has massed more than 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border in recent weeks.
The West therefore fears a major Russian attack on the neighboring country.
The Kremlin denies plans for an invasion.
The United States and its western allies have been demanding a withdrawal of Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border for weeks.
In return, Moscow is demanding security guarantees and an end to the eastward expansion of the western military alliance NATO.
Efforts to ease the tension have been in full swing since last week, but have so far produced no tangible results.
The UK is among a handful of western countries supplying weapons such as anti-tank missiles to Ukraine given the situation.
Ukraine had also repeatedly asked Germany for arms deliveries.
The federal government has so far stuck to its clear no.
Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) told the “Welt am Sonntag”: “Weapons deliveries would not be helpful at the moment – that is the consensus in the federal government.”
You can find an analysis of the current threat of war in Ukraine here: »It won’t be a march through for Moscow«
You can see how Russia escalates the conflict in this video: How Moscow encircles Ukraine
ok/AFP