Sunday, 24 Nov 2024

Putin outrage: Why Russian President accused David Cameron of ‘blackmailing EU’

President Putin made the shock claim just six days before the EU referendum took place, and accused British politicians of using Russia to scare people into voting Remain. The Russian leader said: “There is a great problem with Brexit. Why did he initiate this vote in the first place? Why did he do that? So he wanted to blackmail Europe or to scare someone. What was the goal if he was against?”

Mr Putin also added that he had his own views on Brexit, but he would refrain from expressing them.

He said the vote was “none of our business; it is the business of the people of the UK”.

On June 23, 2016, Prime Minister Cameron suffered a humiliating moment that ultimately led to his resignation a day later, as Britain voted to leave the EU.

But even after his humbling from the electorate, Mr Cameron still faced further fire from Moscow.

The Kremlin chief took the chance to embarrass the embattled Prime Minister further.

Following the referendum result, Mr Putin said: “A statement by the Prime Minister of Great Britain Mr Cameron before the referendum, in which he voiced the position of Russia [that Russia would benefit from Brexit] has no basis.

“I think this is nothing more than a flawed attempt to influence public opinion in his own country.

“As we can see, even this did not bring the right result for those who did it, and moreover after the vote no one has the right to make statements about some position of Russia.

“This is nothing more than a demonstration of the low level of political culture.”

The statement Mr Putin referenced was from May 2016, just one month before the referendum, in which Mr Cameron said the Russian President, along with ISIS, would be happy should the UK leave the EU.

Speaking at a World Economic Forum event, the former MP for Witney said: “Who would be happy if we left? Putin might be happy. I suspect al-Baghdadi [then ISIS leader] might be happy.”

Mr Cameron is not the only British Prime Minister to clash with Moscow, though.

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His replacement, Theresa May, soon realised how difficult Russia could be on the international stage after the violent 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury.

Two Russian agents poisoned Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the Wiltshire city, leaving both hospitalised.

Mr Skripal came to England as part of a spy-swap in 2010. He had been in prison in his native Russia for high treason in the form of espionage.

Following the attack, Mrs May suspended 23 Russian diplomats in London in a show of defiance.

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