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WORLD NEWS Monday 24 January 2022
Russia rejects UK claim of trying to replace Ukraine leader

By JIM HEINTZ and JILL LAW- accusations that the other
LESS is planning provocations.
Associated Press "The disinformation spread
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's by the British Foreign Office
Foreign Ministry on Sunday is more evidence that it is
rejected a British claim that the NATO countries, led by
the Kremlin is seeking to the Anglo-Saxons, who are
replace Ukraine's govern- escalating tensions around
ment with a pro-Moscow Ukraine," Russian Foreign
administration, and that Ministry spokeswoman Ma-
former Ukrainian lawmaker ria Zakharova said on the
Yevheniy Murayev is a po- Telegram messaging app
tential candidate. Sunday. "We call on the
Britain's Foreign Office on British Foreign Office to stop
Saturday also named sev- provocative activities, stop
eral other Ukrainian politi- spreading nonsense."
cians it said had links with British Foreign Secretary Liz
Russian intelligence ser- Truss said the information
vices, along with Murayev "shines a light on the extent
who is the leader of a small of Russian activity designed
party that has no seats in Members of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, train to subvert Ukraine, and is
parliament. in a city park in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. an insight into Kremlin think-
Those politicians include Associated Press ing."
Mykola Azarov, a former Truss urged Russia to "dees-
prime minister under Viktor to Russian security. He said in Ukraine is gone forever," Ukrainian political analyst calate, end its campaigns
Yanukovych, the Ukrainian that sanction was imposed he said in a Facebook post. Volodymyr Fesenko de- of aggression and disin-
president ousted in a 2014 in the wake of a conflict "Everything that does not scribed Murayev as a sig- formation, and pursue a
uprising, and Yanukovych's with Viktor Medvedchuk, support the pro-Western nificant figure in Ukraine's path of diplomacy," and
former chief of staff, Andriy Ukraine's most prominent path of development of pro-Russia camp, but add- reiterated Britain's view that
Kluyev. pro-Russia politician and a Ukraine is automatically ed: "Murayev is a second- "any Russian military incur-
"Some of these have con- friend of Russian President pro-Russian," Murayev told place player. sion into Ukraine would be
tact with Russian intelli- Vladimir Putin. The AP. I don't think Murayev has a massive strategic mistake
gence officers currently Murayev's Nashi party He also said he supports direct connections in the with severe costs."
involved in the planning for — whose name echoes Ukraine having neutral Kremlin." Britain has sent anti-tank
an attack on Ukraine," the the former Russian youth status and believes that The U.K. government made weapons to Ukraine as
Foreign Office said. movement that supported "striving for NATO is tanta- the claim based on an in- part of efforts to bolster the
Murayev told The Associ- Putin — is regarded as sym- mount to continuing the telligence assessment, with- country's defenses against
ated Press via Skype that pathetic to Russia, but Mu- war." Ukrainian forces and out providing evidence to a potential Russian attack.
the British claim "looks ridic- rayev on Sunday pushed Russia-backed separatists back it up. It comes amid Mark Galeotti, who has
ulous and funny" and that back on characterizing it have been fighting in the high tensions between written extensively on Rus-
he has been denied entry as pro-Russia. country's east since 2014, a Moscow and the West over sian security services, said: "I
to Russia since 2018 on the "The time of pro-Western conflict that has killed more Russia's designs on Ukraine can't help but be skeptical"
grounds of being a threat and pro-Russian politicians than 14,000. and each side's increasing about the British claim.q

Farmers' protest in Spain highlights rural concerns

MADRID (AP) — Farmers, of Madrid where proposals istry — to the Agriculture
cattle-breeders, hunters against depopulation and Ministry. Among the many
and opposition supporters agricultural policies are banners held by protesters,
descended Sunday on the taking center stage. one read: "Farmers speak.
Spanish capital of Madrid Carlos Bueno, head of Who's listening?"
to protest environmental Alma Rural 2021, said the Spain's Ecological Transition
and economic policies by protest aimed to highlight Ministry said the country's
Spain's left-of-center gov- rural concerns amid what budget for 2022 includes
ernment that they say are he called "ideological" 4.2 billion euros ($4.7 billion)
hurting rural communities. attacks from the govern- to fight the depopulation
Sunday's protest was orga- ment. Concerns ranged of rural areas. Spain's rural
nized by Alma Rural 2021, a from regulating prices for world "doesn't need popu-
platform representing over agricultural products to list slogans but political in-
500 rural organizations from protections for those who volvement and resource to
all corners of Spain. Mem- breed cattle for bullfights solve historical problems," it People take part in a protest march along the Castellana Boule-
bers of opposition parties, and more subsidies for rural said in a statement. vard in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, defending Spanish
ranging from centrists to industries. A spat over industrial live- rural areas.
far-right supporters, also at- Tractors and bull carts stock farming has dominat- Associated Press
tended. headed the march along a ed headlines for the past
The demonstration came Madrid thoroughfare, with month since Consumer cized big cattle operations cal storm, created divisions
as Spanish politicians are protesters walking from Minister Alberto Garzón, a for damaging the environ- within the ruling coalition
campaigning before an the gates of the Ecology member of the far-left ju- ment and producing poor and led to calls by right-
early election in Castilla-Le- Transition Ministry — the nior partner of the Social- quality food for export. wing opposition parties for
on, a vast region northeast previous Environment Min- ist-led administration, criti- His remarks caused a politi- Garzón to resign.q