Russia’s fairness department announced on Friday that it had designated Andrei Kozyrev, a former foreign minister and well-known critique of President Vladimir Putin, as a “foreign broker.” The minister of Yeltsin’s time responded to this labeling by describing it as” the idiocy of the regime.”
Kozyrev, 74, was the country’s earliest foreign minister under President Boris Yeltsin in the early 1990s, when the nation maintained close relations with the West. Kozyrev has become an vocal critic of the Kremlin’s plans and Russia’s military activities in Ukraine since moving to the United States in 2010.
Kozyrev publicly demanded resignation from his former acquaintances in the Soviet foreign ministry in protest in 2022.
Kozyrev was charged by the justice department with disseminating false information about Russian martial and policy practices. Additionally, he cited his reported collaboration with” with unusual channels” and his alleged opposition to the war, which Moscow refers to as a” special military operation.”
Kozyrev refrained from using the title, saying it reflected” the foolishness of the regime.”
” I am pleased to meet those noble people who have also been designated foreign brokers,” he continued.
The term “foreign agent” has a strong stigma attached to it and requires individuals to clearly state their identity in all publications and virtual posts. Additionally, it imposes tight fiscal reporting standards.
Many writers, journalists, and historical figures who criticize the war have all been given the same title in recent years.
