WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2022) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to give a detailed comment on UK's claims that Russia was allegedly preparing a power change in Kiev, but noted that Washington has long warned partners about the possibility of such scenarios.
Earlier in the day, London accused Russia of allegedly trying to install a "pro-Russian leader" in Ukraine, naming former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevhen Murayev as a potential candidate. The UK did not provide any evidence to support the claims. Moscow has denied allegations and urged London to stop provocations.
"I can't comment on specific pieces of intelligence. But we've been warning about just this kind of tactic for weeks and we've spoken to that publicly," Blinken said in an interview with the CNN.
The statement of the UK Foreign Office came just a few hours after the Russian Foreign Ministry warned about the impending information and military provocations from the West, in particular the United States, with the aim to escalate the situation around Ukraine.
Murayev, who has been under the Russian sanctions since 2018, responded by saying that his family has assets arrested in Russia and suggested to ask "Mr. Bean" for clarifications on the UK's claims.
