THE UK should ban Vladimir Putin's network of advisors, just like the EU is doing, an anti-corruption campaigner says.
In a major blow to Vladimir Putin’s war machine in Ukraine, the European Union’s Ursula von der Leyen has unveiled a sixth sanctions package that bans Russia's oil imports, further depleting Russian sources of income. What is more “exciting”, according to the anti-corruption campaigner Bill Browder, is the plan also includes a ban on EU-based advisors to Russia, meaning any EU company, consultant, spin doctor, PR firm or lobbyist will no longer be allowed to advise Russia. Given London’s poor-track record of welcoming Russian and oligarchs’ money, Mr Browder says the UK Government should follow the EU’s example.
Speaking to LBC’s James O’Brien, anti-corruption campaigner Bill Browder said: “In the small print was something that I found to be exciting, which was they’re going to now ban EU companies, consultants, spin doctors, PR firms, and lobbyists from advising Russians.
“I call these people the Western enablers.
“And if we look back over the last 22 years, Putin has got away with murder, literally, mass murder, serial murder.
“And one of the reasons he’s been able to do that is that he has this entire network of people in the West who have been softening things up."
Bill Browder calls on UK to bans Putin's advisors based in the UK (Image: TWITTER/@LBC)
He continued: “All these fancy people in London, in New York, in Brussels who have watered everything down.
“And these people are now banned from doing that. Now, this is the EU.
“London is the worldwide centre for Russian enabling, and the British government should do exactly the same thing as soon as possible.”
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is the owner of Chelsea, a Premier League football club in London.
"Putin has got away with murder", according to an anti-corruption activist (Image: GETTY)
Russia is heavily reliant on the EU when it comes to exports (Image: GETTY)
Alisher Usmanov, another Russian oligarch, is known as a major shareholder in Arsenal FC. They have been sanctioned by the UK, but Russian money is still rampant in London.
While the US is actively considering following the EU in banning advisors, the UK Government has remained silent on the subject.
Mr Browder continued: “The US is talking about it in a very robust way.
“I was just testifying in front of Congress a couple of weeks ago and one of the heads of the committee, whom I testified to, has talked about banning British lawyers who are attacking journalists on behalf of Russia from coming into the United States.
The EU is "taking a big weapon out of the arsenal of Vladimir Putin", Mr Browner said (Image: GETTY)
“So, there’s a lot of talk about this.
“But I haven’t heard anything yet coming out of the British Government.
“Worse than nothing, they (EU) have been doing nothing for the last 20 years but now they’re leading, and this is something we should absolutely do here.
“It’s a big problem and the British Government should get its hands on this now."
"The intake of Russian capital in the UK was widespread, so much so that the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament in 2020 produced a report entitled ‘Russia’ to assess Russian influence in UK politics. The result of the report is that the UK has welcomed “oligarchs with open arms.”
He added: “British firms have been subcontracted by the Russian security services to hurt us."
Original source of article: www.express.co.uk
