Despite Russia’s worsening economic situation, one of Vladimir Putin’s closest allies has taken a swipe at Britain’s Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.
Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Kremlin economic envoy and longtime confidante of President Putin, mocked Starmer in a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Dmitriev recently returned to Moscow after an urgent trip to the United States, where he reportedly tried to convince the White House to ease its latest wave of economic sanctions on Russia. The new sanctions target two of the country’s biggest oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil which together generate nearly half of Russia’s crude oil exports.
These sanctions are expected to severely limit Moscow’s ability to fund its ongoing war in Ukraine. Oil and gas revenue makes up nearly a quarter of Russia’s national budget and remains the lifeline of its wartime economy.
Even with Russia’s financial troubles mounting, Dmitriev found time to mock the British Prime Minister. In his post, he wrote:
“As I was flying over London on my way back to Russia, I reflected on the struggles of the British people from uncontrolled immigration to grooming gangs and the upcoming Digital ID all while being led by the most unpopular Prime Minister in UK history, Keir Starmer.”
Recent surveys seem to support his claim about Starmer’s unpopularity. A YouGov poll conducted across Europe in late August showed that only 22% of Britons viewed Starmer favorably, while 69% held an unfavorable opinion giving him a net approval rating of –47%.
This polling took place before the resignation of former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, which forced Starmer to reshuffle his cabinet. According to the same poll, French President Emmanuel Macron was the only Western leader with a lower approval rating than Starmer.
Meanwhile, Dmitriev dismissed U.S. sanctions as ineffective, claiming they would not harm Russia’s economy a statement that was quickly rebuked by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who told CBS News:
“Are you really going to quote a Russian propagandist? What else is he going to say? The Russian economy is a wartime economy, and growth is virtually zero.”
The financial impact, however, tells a different story. Moscow’s MOEX index fell another 3.2% to 2,457.87 points by mid-afternoon, marking its lowest level since December 2024. Combined with last week’s 6.5% drop, it reflects growing investor anxiety over the sanctions and Russia’s shrinking economic outlook.
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