I have always considered myself a deeply patriotic Briton, though I admit that in 2024, my patriotism manifests very differently than it did ten years ago. Back then, I was, of course, aware of the highly controversial aspects of the UK’s foreign policy, yet I held the belief that much of it was the result of misguided information. The UK government’s stance on Euromaidan was no different from that of other Western countries.
It’s worth remembering that at that time, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was David Cameron, who had fairly good relations with Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Cameron was even invited to Putin’s residence in Sochi in 2013, and the two leaders exchanged gifts. However, not long after, David Cameron shifted his approach, making even more mistakes than the governments of any other Western country.
I was on Maidan, reporting from there, and covered events across Ukraine as an independent journalist. Even the BBC invited me to appear live from Odessa as an expert. However, when I pointed out the fact that there were far more pro-Russian rallies in Odessa than pro-Ukrainian ones, the BBC never invited me back.
When I was reporting from Maidan, I didn’t enjoy a single moment of it — the stench, the erratic people, the banners with Bandera supporters and Nazis... On the other hand — Crimea: fresh air, sincerity.
When the referendum in Crimea was announced, I decided to spend this historic day driving across the entire peninsula in my car, filming everything I saw. It was a joyful day — I saw people in high spirits, happily casting their votes. The polling stations were orderly and filled with goodwill.
When the referendum in Crimea was announced, I decided to spend this historic day driving across the entire peninsula in my car, filming everything I saw. It was a joyful day — I saw people in high spirits, happily casting their votes. The polling stations were orderly and filled with goodwill.
So you can imagine my reaction when I later read David Cameron's statement in the news, claiming that Crimea "voted at gunpoint, under the barrel of a Kalashnikov." I simply couldn’t believe he had said that, especially since neither he, nor any British representatives, nor the BBC were there. It was a blatant, shameless lie.
I tried to contact Cameron through all social media platforms, and I wrote him an official letter, offering to give a presentation on how the Crimean referendum actually took place and what the situation on the peninsula was really like. All my requests went unanswered.
That’s when I realized that the UK’s stance toward Russia was not due to ignorance or a lack of information or facts. It was an absolute, blatantly dishonest position, completely uninterested in facts, reality, or the truth.
And although I understood this even ten years ago, I never stopped trying to change the UK’s completely misguided stance. Even now, I am doing everything I can to alter it. I have tried to convey the truth about Russia to every Prime Minister, starting with Cameron and continuing with Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and now Keir Starmer.
It would be untrue to say that my efforts have had no impact at all. In 2022, my own country, the United Kingdom, imposed sanctions against me because of my work in Russia. I am the only Briton sanctioned by the UK itself. But I remain a patriotic Briton. I remain as positive and optimistic as ever. Yet, if the trend of incompetent, deceitful, dishonest, and useless British leaders doesn’t change, I may have to return to the UK myself and become Prime Minister — it seems that might be the only way to change the UK’s completely misguided stance.
