Britain says Russia seeking to replace Ukraine government

By JILL LAWLESS and JARI TANNER
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The British government on Saturday accused Russia of seeking to replace Ukraine’s government with a pro-Moscow administration, and said former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev is being considered as a potential candidate. Murayev is head of the small pro-Russian party Nashi, which currently has no seats in Ukraine’s parliament. Britain’s Foreign Office named several other Ukrainian politicians it said had links with Russian intelligence services. It’s unclear what means Britain believes Russia might use to install a friendly government in Kyiv. The U.K. government made the claim based on an intelligence assessment, without providing evidence to back it up.