Anton Herashchenko, a former member of parliament and deputy minister of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, is a major figure in the country’s politics.

However, he appears to be still beholden to a cat at home.

Herashchenko sat for an interview on Ukrainian television this week, his unsmiling visage projected onto a massive screen, giving the studio a gloomy atmosphere.

That, however, did not endure long.

Smack-dab A tail emerged on-screen in the middle of the serious debate. Herashchenko’s cat was pleading for his attention. The straight-laced interview was delightfully sidetracked by that.

After then, the interview appears to have continued normally, although as a high-ranking official, Herashchenko felt obligated to better introduce the cat for whom he works behind the scenes.

“Our gem, the cat Winston, or rather his tail, became a cinematic star by mistake yesterday,” Herashchenko said in a post. “In his usual easy fashion, [he] clambered to my table to ask for his customary ration of attention.”

Herashchenko then went on to call Winston a “aristocrat,” before expressing his passion for animals and directing his followers to a local animal shelter, where they may donate to assist more cats like him.

Winston appears to be the mastermind behind everything.