So a war between Ukraine and Russia is becoming a distinct possibility.
If the west doesn’t get pulled into military action then even tougher economic sanctions will undoubtedly be introduced.
However, there is a Russian bear-shaped elephant in the room for the Government.
The US recently issued a warning over Russian ‘dirty money’ in the UK. Diplomats fear financial sanctions won’t work against Putin if he invades Ukraine because of the illicit cash from his oligarch allies that is ‘entrenched’ in London.
US authorities are now concerned that Britain’s threats to levy tough economic penalties against Putin are empty after years of allowing Russian kleptocrats to funnel what sources described as ‘a hell of a lot of money’ into ‘Londongrad’.
‘The fear is that Russian money is so entrenched in London now that the opportunity to use it as leverage against Putin could be lost,’ a source in Washington told The Times.
However, how much of this Russian money is washing into the Conservative party coffers?
Well according to Brandon Lewis they haven’t had any. He told LBC and Trevor Phillips on Sunday that they don’t take any money and are doing all they can to deter Russian cash flooding into the UK, and we guess his own party.
Well is this the case? These two videos would prove otherwise and link the Conservative Party to Russian donations. Do you think these are fit and proper people who should be handing money to the Tories?
Also this month Labour has called on the Tories to return money from donors with links to Russian response to tensions over Vladimir Putin’s military buildup on the Ukrainian border.
In a joint letter, David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, and Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, called on ministers to address Russian finance flowing into the UK.
Lammy and Reeves said: “Donors who have made money from Russia or have alleged links to the Putin regime have given £1.93m to either the Conservative party or individual Conservative associations since Boris Johnson took power in July 2019. Will the Conservative party agree to return it?”
Related: Boris Johnson embodies a global crisis in leadership
