Russia Issues New Warning to Nigeria Over Alleged US and UK Interference
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The Russian government has issued a renewed warning to Nigeria, alleging attempts by the United States and the United Kingdom to meddle in the nation’s internal matters and undermine its relationship with Russia.
This announcement comes as the Russian Embassy in Nigeria refuted claims of its involvement in the hunger protests that occurred on October 1.
In a letter sent to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yury Paramonov, the official Press Secretary of Russia, emphasized that his country respects Nigeria’s sovereignty and upholds the principle of non-interference in its internal affairs.
Russia has accused Western nations, particularly the US, UK, and Ukraine, of disseminating false accusations regarding its role in the protests.
The Russian Embassy referenced comments made by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former Director of the British Council in Nigeria David Roberts, and Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria Ivan Kholostenko as examples of these unfounded claims.
“The remarks from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former British Council Director David Roberts, and Ukrainian Ambassador Ivan Kholostenko have irresponsibly and falsely implied that the display of Russian flags during recent protests indicates interference from Russia, and they have cautioned that such actions may recur in the future,” the embassy stated.
The statement further declared, “The Embassy firmly denies these allegations and reiterates that the Russian Federation was not involved in the recent protests and has no ties to any future demonstrations or civil unrest.
“Russia has always respected Nigeria’s sovereignty and adheres strictly to the principle of non-interference in the affairs of independent nations.”