A former Russian arms tycoon who had connections at the highest levels of the Kremlin is a major donor to Britain's ruling Conservative Party and counts himself a friend of the man expected to be the country's next prime minister.
Alexander Temerko, who forged close ties with the Russian defense ministry and security services in the 1990s, has given over £1 million to the Conservatives over the past eight years.
In a series of interviews, he spoke warmly about his "friend" Boris Johnson, the leading Brexit campaigner, who is front-runner to become Britain's prime minister in a party leadership contest this week.