Britain has imposed sanctions on 386 members of Russia’s parliament, banning them from entering the country, accessing assets or doing business there. The move comes two weeks after the European Union sanctioned the legislators in Moscow who voted last month to recognise the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent republics.
"The Russian State Duma ratified treaties in February which recognised the independence of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions – part of Ukrainian sovereign territory – and authorised the permanent presence of Russian military there, acting as a pretext for Russia's invasion," foreign secretary Liz Truss said.
"We are targeting those complicit in Putin's illegal invasion of and those who support this barbaric war. We will not let up the pressure and will continue to tighten the screw on the Russian economy through sanctions. Together with our allies, we stand firmly beside our Ukrainian friends. We will continue to support Ukraine with humanitarian aid, defensive weapons and diplomatic work to isolate Russia internationally."
Labour's shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, welcomed the sanctions but said they should have happened weeks ago. And he called on the government to take tougher measures to cut Russian president Vladimir Putin and his circle out of Britain's economic system.
Britain's sluggish imposition of sanctions has put a spotlight on the relationship between senior Conservative figures and Russian oligarchs. Boris Johnson has faced questions over his elevation of Evgeny Lebedev, a newspaper owner whose billionaire father is a former KGB agent, to the House of Lords despite the reported misgivings of the intelligence services.
Lord Lebedev said on Friday that his integrity was being called into question unjustly because of his father's past actions.
“I am not a security risk to this country, which I love. My father a long time ago was a foreign intelligence agent of the KGB, but I am not some agent of Russia. I may have a Russian name but that makes me no less a committed or proud British citizen than anyone else in this country of ours. Being Russian does not automatically make one an enemy of the state, and it is crucial we do not descend into Russiaphobia, like any other phobia, bigotry or discrimination,” he said.
Refugee policy
The British government has also faced criticism over its refusal to admit refugees from Ukraine without subjecting them to a slow, bureaucratic and sometimes chaotic process. Unlike the EU, which has waived visa requirements for all Ukrainians, Britain allows only those with a family member who has settled status in Britain to apply for a visa.
Britain has admitted only about 1,000 refugees so far but Mr Johnson on Friday defended his response to the crisis, saying that “people want us to be generous but also careful”. Scotland’s first minister and the leaders of all parties at Holyrood apart from the Conservatives have called on the government to waive visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals.
“It is neither reasonable nor morally acceptable to expect people fleeing war to go through complex bureaucratic processes in order to reach safety within the UK. We must provide sanctuary first and treat people with respect and humanity,” Ms Sturgeon said.
