Boris Johnson has committed to releasing a full list of people and organisations linked to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s regime, with Downing Street warning Britons they should “think carefully” before dealing with them.
There were no immediate details of who will feature on the list of “Putin’s pals”, but aides indicated that it will extend well beyond the eight oligarchs and 100-plus companies already sanctioned by the UK in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Johnson announced the latest stand against Moscow during PMQs on Wednesday, in a session that also saw him refuse a call by Labour MP Bill Esterson to donate £2m given to the Tories by a Russian banker to Ukraine humanitarian causes.
The PM was asked by Mr Esterson whether he would hand over the money – given to the Conservatives by Lubov Chernukhin, the wife of a former minister in President Putin’s government, as recently as the end of 2021 – but Mr Johnson appeared to reject the call. Instead, he told MPs the UK’s fight with Mr Putin was “not about the Russian people”.
