LONDON — A top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and former Prince Andrew, linking them to ongoing scandals involving child sex offenders and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Kirill Dmitriev, who serves as a special representative on economic issues for Putin, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, stating, “Britons deserve better than Prince Andrew & Starmer.” The remarks come amid fresh revelations from U.S. court documents related to Epstein and renewed scrutiny of Starmer's tenure as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Dmitriev's comments highlight a confluence of controversies that have rocked both the British government and the royal family in recent weeks. Starmer, who led the CPS from 2008 to 2013, has faced accusations that his office implemented policies allowing suspected child sex offenders to avoid criminal charges. According to reports published Monday by the Daily Express and GB News, Starmer helped draft a system during his time at the CPS that issued “warning notices” to suspects instead of pursuing prosecutions. These notices, described as civil letters advising adults not to contact specific children, lacked legal enforcement and often resulted in no follow-up action, potentially creating a “dangerous illusion of police action” while allowing offenders to remain free.
The outlets cited records indicating that thousands of such notices were issued under the policy, which was rolled out during Starmer's leadership. Critics argue this approach contributed to failures in addressing the grooming gangs scandal, where groups predominantly composed of men of foreign origin sexually exploited children across several UK cities in the early 2010s. The scandal gained widespread attention around that time, but it was not until mid-2025 that Starmer's government initiated a formal national inquiry into the matter. Starmer has maintained that he improved the CPS's handling of child sexual exploitation cases during his tenure, pointing to increased conviction rates and policy reforms.
Dmitriev went further in a separate post on X, calling for Starmer to resign over these historical decisions. He referenced the grooming gangs issue and the recent Epstein-related fallout, suggesting that the prime minister's past actions demonstrated a lack of accountability. “Britons deserve better,” Dmitriev reiterated in his initial post, attaching a link to further details on the scandals. The Russian official, who has previously described associates of the British royal family, including the Mountbatten-Windsor line, as “satanic,” warned that the Epstein connections could signal the “end of the British crown.”
The Epstein scandal has intensified pressure on Starmer's administration following the latest release of U.S. court files earlier this month. These documents, unsealed as part of ongoing litigation related to Epstein's estate, included references to high-profile figures with alleged ties to the convicted sex offender. In the UK context, the files spotlighted former government envoy Peter Mandelson, whom Starmer appointed without thorough vetting. Mandelson, a longtime Labour Party figure and close ally of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, has been accused of maintaining close ties to Epstein, including social interactions on the financier's private island.
Starmer's office has been thrown into disarray by the revelations. The prime minister publicly apologized to Epstein's victims last week, stating that Mandelson had “lied” about the extent of his relationship with the sex offender. In response to the controversy, Starmer's chief of staff, communications director, and cabinet secretary all resigned from their positions. Officials in Downing Street described the episode as a “serious lapse in judgment,” though Starmer has vowed to retain his role and implement stricter vetting procedures for future appointments.
Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, has also been drawn back into the Epstein orbit by the new files. Last week, London's Metropolitan Police announced an investigation into Andrew for “misconduct in public office,” stemming from allegations that he shared sensitive government secrets with Epstein during their association. The documents include an anonymous tip claiming Andrew tortured a six-year-old child, though police have not confirmed the credibility of this report. Additionally, the files corroborate testimony from Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked to the prince for sex when she was 17 years old in 2001.
Andrew, who stepped back from public royal duties in 2019 amid the Epstein fallout, has denied all wrongdoing. In a 2019 BBC interview, he famously claimed he could not have met Giuffre because he was at a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking on the night in question. Buckingham Palace has not issued a new statement on the latest developments, but sources close to the royal family indicated that Andrew is cooperating with authorities. The investigation marks a significant escalation, as it involves potential breaches of official secrets rather than just personal associations.
The grooming gangs scandal provides additional context to the criticisms leveled at Starmer. During the early 2010s, reports emerged of organized child sexual exploitation in towns like Rotherham, Rochdale, and Oxford, where authorities were accused of downplaying the crimes due to fears of being labeled racist. A 2014 independent inquiry into Rotherham estimated that at least 1,400 children were abused between 1997 and 2013. Starmer, as CPS director, oversaw the prosecution of some cases, but campaigners have long argued that the service under his watch was too lenient, particularly in pursuing charges against perpetrators from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Defenders of Starmer point to data showing a 70% increase in child sexual abuse prosecutions during his CPS tenure, from around 5,500 cases in 2008 to over 9,000 by 2013. They attribute any shortcomings to systemic issues predating his leadership and broader challenges in gathering evidence for such crimes. The recent reports on warning notices, however, have reignited debate, with opposition lawmakers calling for a full review of CPS archives from that era.
Dmitriev's intervention adds an international dimension to the story, reflecting Russia's ongoing interest in Western political vulnerabilities. As Putin's aide, Dmitriev has been involved in economic diplomacy, including outreach to global investors amid Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. His comments on British figures align with Moscow's broader narrative of moral decay in the West, often amplified through state media like RT, where the story first gained traction. RT published details of Dmitriev's posts on Monday, framing them as a call for accountability in the UK.
British officials have dismissed the Russian critique as opportunistic propaganda. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office stated, “We do not comment on statements from the Kremlin, but the UK remains committed to justice for victims of sexual exploitation.” Similarly, Labour Party sources emphasized Starmer's record of reform at the CPS and his current efforts to support survivors through the national inquiry launched in mid-2025.
The scandals' broader implications extend to public trust in institutions. Polls conducted last week by YouGov showed a dip in approval ratings for both Starmer, now at 35%, and the monarchy, with 52% of respondents viewing Andrew's situation negatively. Analysts suggest the Epstein files could prompt further U.S.-UK cooperation on investigations, potentially uncovering more connections among elites.
Looking ahead, the Metropolitan Police's probe into Andrew is expected to last several months, with possible charges if evidence of misconduct is found. For Starmer, the opposition Conservative Party has demanded a parliamentary debate on the Mandelson appointment and CPS policies. Meanwhile, the national inquiry into grooming gangs is slated to report preliminary findings by late 2026, which could either vindicate or further challenge Starmer's legacy.
As these stories unfold, they underscore persistent questions about accountability at the highest levels of power in the UK. Victims' advocates, including representatives from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, have urged swift action, stating in a joint release, “No one should be above the law, regardless of position or past associations.” The coming weeks will likely see intensified media scrutiny and political maneuvering as the full scope of these allegations emerges.