Russia sanctions: “Londongrad” as a hole? | tagesschau.de

In the UK, many Russians clean up their money. So the United States says sanctions against Russia are rarely possible. But the Conservative Party is not too keen on taking action against corruption.

The British government wants to be stubborn when it comes to Russia and to prevent an invasion of Ukraine. As Secretary of State Liz Truss When visiting British troops in Estonia late last year, many years ago, she was photographed in a moving tank, much like the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, known as the Iron Lady.

Britain has also come under fire for sending troops to strengthen NATO’s east and supplying arms to Ukraine. It’s about black money, money laundering and Russian oligarchy in London. Warnings were sent from Washington to 10 Downing Street: Ukraine’s sanctions will be ineffective because Putin’s money has long reached the best parts of London.

Serious allegations by the Labor Party

“London is the place of choice for all cryptocurrencies,” said David Lammy, Labor’s foreign policy spokesman. “There are companies here that help corrupt elites cover up their false profits.”

Labor should enforce stricter laws, transparency rules and intelligence authorities. Demand is not new. As early as 2018, the final report of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry called on the government to stop the flow of dirty money into the United Kingdom.

So far the government’s effort is small

But nothing happened: “There is no energy to deal with the problem because of the lack of interest in Brexit and the government,” said Tom Keating, director of the Center for White Collar Crime at the Royal United Services Institute. In his view, there are a majority of MPs from all parliamentary committees who support the relevant laws.

In the Labor Party, the government’s failure to take action against money launderers is seen as problematic by the Conservative Party. The Tories have reportedly received about six million euros from supporters in Russia over the past ten years.

The Secretary of the State Trust must act swiftly. He announced new rules on sanctions and assured the lower house that those with ties to the Kremlin had no place to hide – which caused laughter from lawmakers as the military declaration was unrealistic.

Many company shares have closed

The most difficult thing in the UK is finding out who owns it. The company’s shares or real estate are listed on foreign companies. A follow-up is not possible. In addition, while the business record is open to the public, “the authority that holds the business record has no way of verifying all the information. In some cases, the trash is explicitly linked together,” says Keatinge. “That means companies are registered in the name of Mickey Mouse or a two-year-old girl.

Experts call for strengthening the authority to monitor entries in the business register, the register for foreign companies and the National Criminal Agency. Proposals have been in the drawer for a long time, Keating says. They must finally be tabled in Parliament. By the end of 2022, Liz Truss promised that this would happen. It may not be possible to implement sanctions more effectively.