The last time the people of Ukraine heard about Yevhen Murayev was when a Russian government official unveiled a poster in the middle of Kyiv last summer reading “The country is ours!” Following the public outcry, it was downgraded a few hours later – showing its declining political fortunes.
Murayev appears to be on the verge of remaining anonymous until Saturday, when the UK says it should lead Ukraine’s obedient government as part of a plot to overthrow Russia.
Western authorities say Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to invade the country again after gathering more than 100,000 troops at the border. The US and UK have recently warned that Moscow could move Putin’s Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, in the attack.
“We have been concerned and have been warning about such practices for several weeks,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, referring to the UK. “This is a big part of Russia’s sports book.”
But the UK allegations, which London did not provide evidence and Russia’s opposition, shocked many in Ukraine – including Murayev, who posted a portrait of James Bond and said the statement was a “question. To Mr Bean”.
“If Russia really wants to disrupt Ukraine and establish a Russian-led government, then this is a very unthinkable system that will not be supported by the people of Ukraine. Russia has never heard of Ukraine and does not want to understand,” said Oleksiy Haran, research leader for Democratic Initiatives. Foundation, think tank of Kyiv. “Russia may have such plans, but it is unreasonable.”
A native of the eastern city of Kharkiv, Murayev helped former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov flee across the border into Russia in 2014 after terrorist attacks in Kyiv ousted President Viktor Yanukovich allied with Moscow.
Murayev remained in Ukraine as MP for Yanukovych’s party successor, then split in 2016 to establish his two. In 2018, Russia imposed on him a sanction – a move he criticized for disagreeing with Viktor Medvedchuk, Putin’s secret agent and former Kremlin ally in Ukraine.
He was one of three candidates in Russia to run for President in 2019 but left the polls before voting. Murayev’s party did not win 5 percent of the vote in parliament a few months later.
“The only way to become a puppet government is to attack [ . . .] and I can’t believe Yevhen Murayev can be a leading candidate, “said Vadim Novinsky, an oligarch and MP of the Russian alliance.” It’s all nonsense. “
In recent months, Murayev, who owns a major Ukrainian television station, began planning to return to Kyiv politics after the release of Medvedchuk in a domestic prison and closing three alternatives near him last year.
Murayev also spoke of a radical change in Ukrainian politics in a dialogue on his way in early January when he said: “For some reason I think we will start again and there will be a new government” that can solve this problem. Donbas clashes at the end of the year.
“There will be many changes, and they will not fail,” he said. “True, there will be chaos and hardship [ . . .] but afterward a bright future. ”
Oleksandr Danylyuk, a former head of Ukraine’s National Security Council, said taking action against Medvedchuk would pave the way for his enemy Murayev to take over Russia.
“Russia has been looking for allies in Ukraine,” Danylyuk said. “Murayev could be a clear choice – he is well-positioned in Russia, the former Medvedchuk, and has far greater potential because he is considered to be younger and more trustworthy.”
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Murayev denied allegations that his party was allied with Moscow. “The era of Western and Russian politics in Ukraine is well over,” he wrote.
UK allegations could put Murayev at risk of similar penalties imposed on Medvedchuk.
Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, did not say whether Ukraine would take action against Murayev but said “This is a good thing for the Ukrainian people, who need to know who they are.” He swore that “all the weapons that can be used to protect the Ukrainian sovereignty and the interests of the Ukrainian people will be used by the Ukrainian authorities in collaboration with our colleagues.”
The plan to establish Murayev was the second western warning to come Russian invasion of Ukraine in the week.
The US has previously said that Russian intellectuals had a similar plan to another Ukrainian political party near Medvedchuk – the only one mentioned in the UK.
“Most of the so-called members of this future government do not communicate at all,” Novinsky said. “It’s a bunch of random names.”
Conflicts between US and UK accounts show that the Kremlin has several ways to achieve its goals in Ukraine, says Mark Galeotti, a professor at Russia College London who specializes in security education in Russia.
“We can expect that there will be a lot of different races, which are often fictional. And let’s not think that if we see one, it’s the Kremlin’s plans,” Galeotti said.
“The Kremlin creates a dynamic and confusing process, which gives them a variety of choices. And they will choose and they will move.”
The US and UK are pursuing two approaches to attempting to disclose Russia’s plans in a bid to create a negotiated settlement that could reduce tensions.
Blinken said the US would continue talks with Moscow after the meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Lper week. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu has summoned his UK counterpart Ben Wallace to talks in Moscow, while the Foreign Minister said he was considering a request by foreign secretary Liz Truss to meet with Lavrov.
Claims of a seizure could undermine future talks with Russia, Galeotti said. “White unity is indeed elusive, and [the line] pushing the US and the UK does not help, “he said.” This is the kind of thing that makes negotiations difficult. “
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