The UK can not allow Russia to believe it got away with it without serious consequences.
A tour de force from May. Utter failure from Labour’s leader. And: how Blair’s Iraq legacy gives credence to deranged conspiracy theories.
On corruption, fragility, innovation, human capital, creditworthiness, GDP per head – all the measures that count for most – the country is, to put it politely, not in a great place.
She also told the Commons of new sanctions, Magnitsky legislation, and additional powers to curb the activities of the Kremlin’s agents.
Foreign policy is rarely at the centre of our politics, but the electorate are now likely to judge potential leaders in part on their stance towards the Kremlin.
The British Government needs to show the same resolve as in 1971, when Sir Alec Douglas-Home threw 105 KGB agents out of London.
Why he believes Brexit will make life harder for Putin. Plus: Can Hammond hold course in today’s Spring Statement? And how does faith fit into public life?
“We have led the way in securing tough sanctions against the Russian economy…We must now stand ready to take much more extensive measures.”
The Prime Minister reports that the Foreign Secretary has summoned the Russian ambassador to account for his country’s actions.
Last month, he told the Defence Select Committee that Russia has ousted terrorism from the top of the national threat list – which has big spending implications.
We don’t yet know if Russia poisoned Sergei Skripal. But there was already more than enough reason not to take part in the Kremlin’s propaganda tournament.
In addition to the old ‘useful idiots’, the Kims and Castros of the world know they can rely on the aid of genuine idiots, too. We ought to know better.
Doing so would be an opportunity for us to learn – Ukrainian forces have valuable experience of state-to-state conflict, and of Russian weaponry we have never faced.
We are not up against a revived Soviet Union. At most, Putin’s state is a puffer fish – poisonous, but not as big as you think.
A small proportion of those who voted Remain are simply unable to move on from the referendum result – and taking refuge in conspiracy theory.