Russia can only afford its war in Ukraine because Britain helped raise the cash

‘When oligarchs bought up swathes of west London, we didn’t consider that we were providing them with a stable home for their wealth.’ The gated entrance to Kensington Palace Gardens, London. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer

Boris Johnson is congratulating himself on doing so much to help Ukraine, but Britain is like a doctor treating a patient’s symptoms after causing the infection in the first place. The weapons shipments are crucial, as are plasters and painkillers when someone’s unwell, but there is no sign yet that Downing Street recognises how to treat the underlying condition.

The Kremlin is solely to blame for the horror it is inflicting on the Ukrainians, but its ability to wage war derives from the wealth it has accumulated. And that is something we share responsibility for, and something we should address as urgently as we are providing Kyiv with missiles to destroy Russian armoured vehicles.