MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. Ukraine is now being run by specialists from the US Central Intelligence Agency and British MI-6, Ukraine’s former Prime Minister (2010-2014) Nikolai Azarov said on Monday.

"Ukraine is now very seriously governed not by [President Vladimir] Zelensky, not by [Ukrainian defense ministry’s intelligence directorate chief Kirill] Budanov, not by [commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces Valery] Zaluzhny, but by special groups of highly-qualified specialists in military science and intelligence who represent first of all the Central Intelligence Agency and MI-6. They steer practically all steps allegedly taken by Zelensky and Zaluzhny," he said in an interview with the Solovyov Live television channel.

The Ukrainian authorities are fulfilling ready-made plans "under supervision from Western specialists," he added.

Azarov told the Izvestia newspaper earlier that Kiev’s readiness for settlement talks depends entirely on the United States.