European Parliament official received bribes from OPFL for pro-Russian statements

Former British Member of the European Parliament Nathan Gill pleaded guilty to eight charges of bribery related to promoting the interests of pro-Russian politicians.

This was reported by The New York Times.

The investigation found that Gill, who represented Wales in the European Parliament from 2014 to 2020 (first from UKIP, then from the Brexit Party), received money for specific actions ordered by former OPFL MP Oleh Voloshyn. Following instructions from Voloshyn via WhatsApp, Hill organized events, including the presentation of Medvedchuk's 'Peace Plan for Donbas' in the European Parliament. Medvedchuk's 'Peace Plan for Donbas' in the European Parliament in July 2019. The next day, Medvedchuk, who met with Putin, called the meeting a success.

Hill also received payment for two speeches to the European Parliament in 2018-2019, which were written according to Voloshin's "scripts". In these speeches, he accused the Ukrainian government of allegedly suppressing pro-Russian media. In addition, the diplomat was paid for public appearances on the pro-Russian 112 Ukraine channel in support of Medvedchuk after the latter was charged with treason.

Correspondence with Voloshin was discovered by police in 2021 at Manchester Airport. Hill is currently out on bail and will be sentenced in November.

In 2023, the SBU, together with the DBR, collected evidence against Voloshyn, a former member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the IX convocation. On May 1, during 2020-2021, he actively assisted the top military and political leadership of Russia in conducting large-scale subversive activities against Ukraine.

According to SBU counterintelligence, the official deliberately tried to manipulate the public opinion of Ukrainian citizens in the interests of the aggressor country.

Being a member of the banned OPFL party, he publicly disseminated Kremlin narratives about the socio-political situation in the country.

Катерина Глушко