.jpg)
Conversation in private
Harsh review: Boris Johnson meets oligarch and ex-KGB agent
London. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come under fire for unsolicited meetings with oligarch and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev when he was foreign secretary. Opposition parties demanded the government to conduct the inquiry on Sunday. Johnson first acknowledged the April 2018 meeting on Wednesday, saying no government officials were present.
Read more after the ad
Read more after the ad
The conversation took place shortly after a NATO meeting where the alliance discussed how to deal with Russia. Earlier, former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were critically injured in the Salisbury poisoning attack. London immediately blamed the Kremlin for the attack.
“Having this meeting at this time shows a reckless disregard for national security risks,” Labor MP Yvette Cooper told Sky News. He said it was “unthinkable” for a foreign minister to meet a former KGB agent known for his close ties to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. However, this incident matches Johnson’s behavior with lies, violations of the law, and abuse of office.
Read more after the ad
Read more after the ad
Boris Johnson resigns as party leader
British Prime Minister Johnson resigned as leader of the Conservative Party. But he wants to continue as head of government until a successor is chosen
© Source: Reuters
Johnson and his Conservative Party have long been criticized for their close ties to the Lebedev family and other wealthy Russian citizens, many of whom are major Tory donors.
Lebede’s son Yevgeny, who owns the London Evening Standard newspaper and has stakes in the Independent newspaper, was appointed to the British House of Lords in 2020 on Johnson’s advice. In the House of Lords he holds the title of Baron Van Hampton of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in the Russian Federation and Siberia. The nomination is currently being considered by a parliamentary committee.
RND/dpa
“Communicator. Entrepreneur. Introvert. Passionate problem solver. Organizer. Social media ninja.”
More Stories
Canada: Tusk: Idea of deploying nuclear weapons in Poland 'very serious'
Great Britain: Sunak announces extradition flights to Rwanda – Politics
FIDE100 Torch Relay Celebrated in Canada | Chess Base