A University of Leeds professor has hit back at claims that he is acting as a "useful idiot" for pro-Putin forces.
Ray Bush, a retired professor of African Studies and Development Politics at the University of Leeds, was one of several academics named by government officials on Monday. It comes following suggestions that he was promoting "propaganda" in support of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
In education questions on Monday, chairman of the Commons Education Committee Robert Halfon said that an investigation by LBC had exposed “pro-Putinist propaganda at some of our leading universities”.
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He said that at Leeds University, Mr Bush had made reference to the United State having "chemical warfare installations in Ukraine". Mr Halfon added: "That’s a lie, as he knows, being spread by the Kremlin."
But Mr Bush has hit back at such claims, saying he strongly opposes the Russia Ukraine war. He told the PA news agency he was "shocked that anything I have tweeted could be interpreted as ‘pro-Putinist'".
"I am also very concerned that academics who raise questions and concerns about public policy including the veracity of US intelligence would be smeared as ‘useful idiots’," he added.
"We know what the consequences of US and UK interventions were in Iraq and Afghanistan and the failures of Nato in Libya with an outcome of lawlessness and refugee crises, among other things. For the record, I oppose the war in Ukraine and its horrendous consequences."
A University of Leeds spokesperson also responded to the claims. In a statement, they said: "The University of Leeds condemns in the strongest possible terms the abhorrent wave of violence unleashed by the Russian government through its invasion of Ukraine."
An earlier statement from vice-chancellor Professor Simone Buitendijk said: "This unprovoked act of war goes against everything that a humane, civilised and democratic society stands for and therefore, by extension, everything that this University stands for. In common with many thousands across our community, I condemn it in the strongest possible terms."
Mr Bush's response came after education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said the government would "crack down hard” on pro-Kremlin views in institutions. The row broke out after an investigation by LBC claimed to have exposed "pro-Putinist propaganda at some of our leading universities”.
Mr Halfon added that at Edinburgh University, Professor Tim Hayward retweeted a Russian representative to the United Nations. The tweet described the attack on Mariupol’s maternity hospital as “fake news”.
Prof Hayward, who specialises in environmental political theory, also responded though. He said he was tweeting in a personal capacity and that he did not “retweet but quote-tweeted”.
He added he did not endorse the “categorical fake news allegation” and that he quote-tweeted many people who he disagreed with.
“I recognise propaganda can abound on all sides. I am not pro-Russia and emphatically not pro-Putin,” he said.
“For all that, though, having learned lessons from Iraq WMD [weapons of mass destruction] lies and others since, I believe that citizens should keep a watchful eye on information that can be used to escalate tensions and war. I have not repeated any narrative,” he added.
He asked “why a quote-tweet from a pretty obscure chap in Edinburgh is worthy of such attention”.
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