MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. The West’s fears about representatives of the Kiev elite coming over to the Russian side are justified as there are already such cases taking place, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin said.
"Washington and London fear treachery on behalf of many representatives of the Kiev elite, who may try to get ahead of the game by switching to the side of the future winners [Russia]," the SVR press office said in a statement quoting Naryshkin as saying.
"Such fears are justified as the first cases have already emerged," he said.
The SVR chief went on to say that such concerns from Moscow's opponents came up during discussions to appoint the West's new "viceroy" to Ukraine.
"This fact underlies the increasingly difficult situation at the frontline, complications regarding military mobilizations and delays in receiving Western military aid. Many Ukrainians have begun to grasp the inevitability of Moscow achieving the objectives of the special military operation," Naryshkin stated.
Naryshkin stated that the appointment of a "viceroy" in Ukraine, also dubbed as a "special envoy," was unlikely to yield the results the United States and the United Kingdom want.
"Naturally, the West’s latest flagrant attempt to amplify the subjugation of our brotherly Ukrainian people cannot but cause our concern," he said.
"At the same time, it is highly probable that the implementation of the idea of appointing a ‘viceroy’ in Ukraine will not bring about the results the United States and the United Kingdom want," Naryshkin stressed.
"The West’s so-called ‘viceroy,’ whoever may take this office, is unlikely to stay afloat in Kiev’s bog of hatred, intrigue, lies, adulation and betrayal for long. Hitting the bottom, he will find himself in the warm company of ambassadors of the G7 countries, who have evidently failed as the ‘collective viceroy’ on Ukraine’s soil," Naryshkin added.