Britain warns Russia: “Rich oligarchs will have nowhere to hide” | Abroad

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, London has become an epicenter for the money flowing out of the former Soviet republics. As a result, the English capital was even nicknamed ‘Londongrad’.

In Britain, therefore, opponents of Putin are calling for action against Russian big business, but oligarchs and Russian rulers continue to display their wealth in London and other luxurious European locations.

But that will stop if the British take economic sanctions. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told news channel Sky News that Russian oligarchs “will have nowhere to hide”. Later this week, new legislation will be announced that should make it possible to take broader sanctions.

The goal is to stop Putin from invading Ukraine. “Our top priority is to prevent Vladimir Putin from taking any action,” Truss said.

The United Nations Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss the situation. The meeting with fifteen countries was requested by the United States last week.

There is expected to be a confrontation between the US and Russia, one at the highest diplomatic level. Russia can thwart all decisions of the Security Council because it has veto power as one of its permanent members. However, the meeting itself cannot block it.

There are currently an estimated 100,000 to 130,000 Russian troops in position near the border with Ukraine. Troops and military equipment were also brought to Belarus for joint military maneuvers from 10 to 20 February. They take place on the border with Ukraine. In the south, in the Black Sea, the Russian army is also building up. Troops are also still present in eastern Ukraine, in the two regions that have been under the control of pro-Russian separatists since 2014.