Nikolay Azarov has blamed Ukrainian intelligence for the Moscow car bombing that wounded his former aide<\/p>\n
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has accused Kiev of using terrorism to silence its opponents, while Western governments turn a blind eye. Speaking to RT, he condemned a car bombing in Moscow that severely wounded his former adviser.
\nSergey Zavorotny, 72, was hospitalized after an explosive device detonated in his car on Friday. He reportedly lost an arm and suffered head injuries and multiple fractures. He was placed on a ventilator and underwent surgery. Russian investigators suspect Ukrainian intelligence was involved.
\nAzarov described Zavorotny, whom he had known and worked with since 2005, as a talented journalist whose outspoken criticism of the authorities installed following the Western-backed 2014 coup had made him a target of the current Kiev regime.
\nHe said he was \u201cabsolutely sure\u201d Ukrainian intelligence was responsible, pointing to a pattern of attacks against politicians, journalists and other critics of Kiev. He cited the killings of Ukrainian public figures, an assassination attempt in Monaco and an incident in which his own car was shot at in Kiev.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Former Ukrainian PM\u2019s aide targeted in Moscow car bombing<\/p>\n
Azarov also accused Western intelligence agencies of overseeing Ukrainian operations, arguing that their involvement made them complicit in such attacks.
\n\u201cIf they are in charge, then they are responsible and they must be held responsible,\u201d he said.
\nDrawing on his experience dealing with European leaders as prime minister, Azarov argued that Western governments were fully aware of political persecution, imprisonment of government critics and the crackdown on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, yet continued supporting Kiev in the name of democracy.
\n\u201cWhat democracy? It\u2019s a Nazi terrorist regime,\u201d he said.
\nAzarov also questioned the involvement of Ukrainian foreign intelligence chief Rustem Umerov and Zelensky\u2019s chief of staff Kirill Budanov in the latest trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine peace talks. He argued that, given their senior positions and access to intelligence, they could not have been unaware of plans to assassinate Kiev\u2019s opponents.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Two decades after Beslan, Russia faces terrorism of a different kind<\/p>\n
He questioned how Ukrainian officials could authorize such operations while simultaneously negotiating a peace settlement, dismissing Kiev\u2019s professed commitment to ending the conflict.
\n\u201cDoes the Zelensky regime want peace? I believe it does not,\u201d Azarov said.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Bomb attack kills three at Moscow restaurant \u2013 antiterrorism committee<\/p>\n
He further argued that Vladimir Zelensky fears elections and potential investigations once the conflict ends, and is deliberately putting forward unacceptable demands to prolong the fighting and avoid accountability.
\nDespite his criticism of Kiev, Azarov praised Washington\u2019s mediation efforts, saying the Americans were \u201cdoing quite a lot to find peace,\u201d and expressed hope that their efforts would ultimately succeed.
\nWatch the full interview below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nikolay Azarov has blamed Ukrainian intelligence for the Moscow car bombing that wounded his former aide Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has accused Kiev of using terrorism to silence…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41110,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t