Has the protests of Russian opposition Navalny supporters been supported and incited by Western forces? According to a report on Russian TV Today on February 1, as early as 2012, a senior aide in Navalny asked the diplomatic staff of the British Embassy for funds and intelligence, who had been suspected by the Russian side as an agent.
The video disclosed by Russian TV today was filmed by the staff of the Russian Federal Security Service in 2012.
The video records the meeting of Ashulkov, a senior aide in Navalny, with an employee of the British Embassy in Moscow.
Ashulkov is the executive director of the Navalny Anti-Corruption Foundation.
The person he met in a coffee shop in Moscow was James Ford, the second secretary in charge of political affairs at the British Embassy in Russia.
The Russian Federation Security Service has always suspected that Ford is an agent of MI6, a British intelligence agency.
During the meeting, Ashulkov asked the other party for financial support.
Ashulkov: If we have more money, of course we will have more opportunities.
If someone is willing to spend a little money to support us, such as $1 million to $20 million a year, the situation will be very different.
Russia Today reports that the so-called anti-corruption foundation operated by Navalny is nominally exposing corruption cases in Russia. However, it is essentially a news organization with the ultimate goal of helping Navalny gain political power.
To this end, they did not hesitate to incite protests and triggered social unrest.
Ashulkov: (incitement) large-scale protests, launched civil initiatives, expanded propaganda, and established links with the elite.
Show them that we are reasonable people, and we will not destroy all assets that take them away.
Ashulkov also offered to get the intelligence information provided by the British government and use it on the website of his foundation.
In addition to asking for money and intelligence, Ashulkov also said that mutually beneficial operations can be carried out with the British side: the foundation can publish corruption allegations against the Russian Foreign Trade Bank, one of Russia’s largest banks, to benefit British financial institutions in business.
As for Ashulkov’s request, the British diplomat Ford did not directly agree, but let the other party cooperate with an organization called Transparency International, which was the British government.
British intelligence agencies carry out intelligence activities through embassies in Russia
Today, Russian TV commented that if the situation is reversed, it is British politicians who meet with Russian intelligence personnel and ask for financial and intelligence support, which will undoubtedly lead to an international event.
However, it is common for British intelligence agencies to obtain information through the embassy in Russia.
In 2006, Russian intelligence found that diplomats from the British Embassy used wireless equipment disguised as stones to obtain intelligence from defected Russian officials.
It was not until 2012 that the British government admitted this matter.
People familiar with the matter: The main task of the British MI6 intelligence department is to obtain secret materials about Russia’s economic and military potential.
They actively engage with and fund the Russian opposition, which supports non-governmental organizations. In addition to providing information and financial assistance to the opposition, the British Embassy is directly involved in the formation of opposition organizations.
