Russian foreign minister questions 'what will become of UK' and future of 'the Celts'
In response, Plaid Cymru said Wales' future was "not for the Kremlin to endorse, oppose or exploit".
Russian foreign minister questions 'what will become of UK' and future of 'the Celts'
Russia’s foreign minister has cast doubt on the future of the UK, saying it appears uncertain as "the Celts" seek independence referendums.
Sergei Lavrov made the remarks at a youth conference, where he said he did "not know what will become of the country called Great Britain", according to
The comments came weeks after the first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland declared "Westminster's time is coming to an end" and signed an agreement saying it had no right to "block democracy".
In reply to Lavrov’s comments, Plaid Cymru said Wales’ constitutional future was "a matter for the people of Wales", and "not for the Kremlin to endorse, oppose or exploit".
At the conference, Lavrov also argued that the west had too much influence in the UN Security Council - whose five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.
According to The Times, he said: "The Celts - Wales, Ireland, Scotland - are now seeking to hold referenda.
"We do not advocate the expulsion of any of the permanent members of the security council. Although, of course, the scale of the British Empire, when it first took its seat in the UN security council at the organisation's founding, has, naturally, diminished to the utmost degree."
For the first time since devolution began, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have a leader who wants to leave the UK
Plaid Cymru won a historic Senedd election victory in May, which means that for the first time the biggest party in each devolved parliament is pro-independence.
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has declined to set a timetable for a referendum.
In his blog, he said the meeting between the first ministers had been "featured with striking prominence" in Russian media.
The leaders of the three nations met for a summit at the Senedd earlier this month
Ap Iorwerth said last weekend there was "no turning back" on the independence journey, as he became the first leader of Wales to attend a Yes Cymru march.
In response to Lavrov’s comments, a Plaid spokesman described Russia as an "existential threat to modern democracy".
"Plaid Cymru believes firmly in the right of nations to determine their own future through democratic means. That applies to Wales, and it applies to Ukraine," the spokesman said, referring to Russia's full-scale invasion of the country in 2022.
They said the memorandum with the SNP and Sinn Féin was about "strengthening democracy, co-operation and standing up for the interests of our nations and communities".
"Wales' constitutional future is a matter for the people of Wales, and it is not for the Kremlin to endorse, oppose or exploit," the statement added.
Stephen Gethins, the SNP's external affairs minister who had sanctions imposed on him by Russia, said: "The Scottish government is committed to ensuring the people of Scotland have the democratic right to decide their constitutional future, just as we support the people of Ukraine and elsewhere in democratic Europe determining their future too."