A former British politician has confessed to a disturbing scheme: accepting bribes between 2018 and 2019 to champion pro-Russia views within the European Parliament. His illicit activities included organizing events for a key ally of the Russian president and making appearances on pro-Russian news channels.
Nathan Gill, who served as a Member of the European Parliament representing Wales from 2014 to 2020, was at the center of these allegations. He began his political journey with the right-wing U.K. Independence Party, a major force behind Brexit, led by Nigel Farage. In 2019, he followed Farage to the newly formed Brexit Party, which eventually evolved into Reform U.K., a party currently showing strong support in British polls.
Despite previously leading Reform U.K.’s 2021 Welsh Parliament election efforts, Gill is no longer affiliated with the party nor holds any public office, as reported by the BBC.
Dominic Murphy, who heads the Metropolitan Police unit responsible for the investigation, stated that Gill’s actions amounted to ‘taking payments to peddle narratives that would have had the effect of being beneficial toward Russian interests,’ highlighting the deliberate nature of his influence peddling.
This case adds to a growing list of pro-Russian influence and espionage investigations in Britain. Recent examples include the conviction of a group that torched a Ukrainian-owned warehouse in London and a separate spy ring focused on intimidating journalists and Russian government critics.
The 52-year-old Gill confessed to receiving bribes on eight separate occasions. These payments were tied to instructions from Oleg Voloshyn, a Ukrainian national and former official in the Kremlin-aligned government of Viktor Yanukovych, who was then part of a pro-Russian political faction.
Voloshyn himself faced sanctions from both the United States and Britain in 2022. British authorities specifically accused him of ‘spreading disinformation and pro-Russian narratives which support Russia’s actions in Ukraine,’ underscoring the severity of the alleged influence campaign.
Prosecutors detailed that Voloshyn communicated his directives to Gill via WhatsApp, instructing him on various tasks to support Viktor Medvedchuk. Medvedchuk, a former Ukrainian politician with strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, currently resides in Russia.
According to court documents, after Ukraine initiated high treason proceedings against Medvedchuk, Voloshyn specifically instructed Gill to appear on the pro-Russian television channel, 112 Ukraine, in February 2019.
Prosecutors noted that Gill ‘closely followed the line given to him,’ which involved propagating claims that Medvedchuk was being ‘persecuted’ due to his ‘political convictions.’ Subsequently, Gill was tasked with recruiting other European Parliament members to issue similar pro-Medvedchuk media statements.
In March 2019, Gill continued to follow Voloshyn’s orders, seeking out additional politicians to appear on 112 Ukraine. Their mission was to advocate for ongoing negotiations between Medvedchuk and Dmitri Medvedev, who was then Russia’s prime minister.
Just two months later, Gill publicly endorsed Medvedchuk’s involvement in Ukraine-Russia discussions concerning the Donbas conflict, a region in eastern Ukraine where Russian-backed separatists had been in conflict with Ukrainian forces since 2014. During his appearance on 112 Ukraine, Gill also voiced criticism against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s diplomatic strategies.
Prosecutors further revealed that Gill received payment to organize and host a presentation by Medvedchuk within the European Parliament in July 2019. The event focused on Medvedchuk’s ‘Peace Plan for Donbass.’
The day after the European Parliament meeting, Medvedchuk met with President Putin in Russia, praising the parliamentary event as a triumph. A transcript released by the Kremlin quoted Medvedchuk expressing how his interactions with British politicians at the event ‘inspired’ him.
President Putin reportedly described the event as ‘very positive.’
Gill also confessed to being compensated for delivering two speeches to the European Parliament, both of which, according to prosecutors, adhered strictly to ‘scripts’ supplied by Voloshyn.
One of these speeches, given in December 2018, accused the Ukrainian government of ‘repressing’ pro-Russian news organizations.
In his address, Gill stated, ‘I have every sympathy with Ukraine when it comes to Crimea, when it comes to Russian aggression and interference,’ but controversially argued, ‘It is wrong to fight repression with repression.’ He urged the Ukrainian government to permit all TV stations to broadcast, regardless of whether their message was favorable.
He reiterated a similar stance in another speech to the European Parliament in March 2019.
During Friday’s court proceedings, Gill admitted to eight specific counts of bribery, acknowledging actions commissioned by Voloshyn between December 2018 and July 2019. However, he pleaded not guilty to a broader ‘conspiracy to commit bribery’ spanning January 2018 to February 2020. Gill, like other British politicians, exited the European Parliament in 2020 following Brexit.
The incriminating WhatsApp conversations between Gill and Voloshyn came to light when police, using national security powers, intercepted and questioned Gill at Manchester Airport in September 2021.
Initially, Gill refused to answer police questions, simply stating ‘no comment.’ On Friday, his only statements in court were to enter his pleas.
Gill, a resident of the Welsh island of Anglesey, was granted bail and is scheduled for sentencing in November.
His last political role was as the leader of Reform U.K. in Wales. The party has not yet commented on the matter.