How Britain replaced the US as Russia's villain of choice

"In recent years, Britain has become the villain of choice in Moscow's eyes. It has been accused of plotting drone strikes on Russian airfields, blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline, directing terrorist raids inside Russia, and even abetting last year's gruesome Islamic State concert attack in Moscow. This week, a new charge was added to the pile: Russian authorities claimed that British intelligence had tried and failed to lure Russian pilots into defecting to the west."

"As Moscow looks to rebuild ties with the Donald Trump administration, Britain has assumed the role once reserved for the US the Kremlin's chief adversary and favoured bogeyman in its propaganda war. Russia regards itself as on a par with the United States, said Capt John Foreman, the UK's former defence attache to Moscow. Now they can't criticise Trump directly, so who do you blame for your woes for the losses in Ukraine, for a million casualties? You blame the closest thing, the British. It's easy to portray us as the root of all Russia's problems."

"Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, told reporters in Moscow, describing what he called a British-backed plot to lure a Russian pilot flying a Kinzhal missile-equipped jet to Romania, where, he claimed, it would be shot down by Nato forces. I do not know how the British will wash themselves clean of it, although their ability to play the role of goose coming out of the shower is well known, Lavrov added, using a Russian idiom that cast Britain as somehow always emerging spotless, despite its actions."

Moscow has repeatedly accused Britain of acting as a hostile actor, alleging plots including drone strikes on airfields, the Nord Stream pipeline bombing, terrorist raids and complicity in an Islamic State concert attack. Russian authorities recently added a claim that British intelligence tried and failed to entice Russian pilots to defect. Russian officials, including Sergei Lavrov, presented detailed accusations and framed Britain as habitually emerging unscathed despite alleged wrongdoing. London denies involvement in all accusations. Russian commentators and intelligence agencies portray Britain as a leading warmonger, and analysts note Russia is using Britain as a focal point for blame while recalibrating relations with the US administration.

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