Salisbury spy poisoning case is 'just the first step' for Vladimir Putin

Salisbury spy poisoning case is 'just the first step' for Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin may be emboldened if he sees the UK's response as weak

A respected expert on Russia has told Sky News that Vladimir Putin is laughing at Britain's latest response to the Salisbury poisoning.

Yuri Felshtinsky, who co-authored a book with Alexander Litvinenko before his assassination on the orders of the Kremlin, says Britain is exposing itself to the risk of more attacks directed by President Putin.

"If he is still able to laugh, then he is laughing," he told Sky News.

After the tit-for-tat expulsion of 23 British diplomats from Moscow, the Government says it will use existing laws and draw up new ones to go after the financial assets of Putin's billionaire associates in the UK if they can be proven to be acquired through corruption.

But critics say that is playing for time, effectively kicking the issue into the long grass.


Investigation of allegedly ill-gotten gains and their pursuit through the courts would take years.

:: Russia slams Britain's 'island mentality' in Salisbury spy poisoning rant

Image: Yuri Felshtinsky says Mr Putin's associates must be barred from Britain

Closer observers of Russia, such as Mr Felshtinsky, propose an alternative:

"Do not take their property," he told Sky News. "Do not take their accounts, take the whole of Britain from them. Ban them from entering the country."

President Putin's cronies use Britain as a sanctuary, he says, so barring them access to that refuge is the ultimate sanction.

"And this is very easy to achieve. You simply have to revoke visas to revoke dual citizenship and to revoke permanent residency permits."

Image: Sergei Skripal and his daughter remain critically ill

If that is on the UK's agenda, ministers have yet to publicly say so.

Mr Felshtinsky argues it should be the basis for discussions with allies.

"If you then get a general agreement of NATO countries that they will do the same, then you will take the whole regime of Putin down very quickly and without blood," he says.

The suspicion is ministers are avoiding any measures that might lead to an exodus of Russian money, however corrupt, out of Britain.

Whether or not the Government has done enough to deter Russia in the future is a pressing question because the next attack might not be against one or two Russians whiling away a quiet Sunday in a sleepy Wilthsire town.

President Putin is waging a hybrid war with the West and has at his disposal a formidable armoury.

He has the ability to bring the NHS to its knees with cyberwarfare, or part of the national power grid, or a water supply company.

CCTV shows alleged election violations in Russia

The list of potential targets goes on. Not to mention what he can do to our democracy.

Relying too much on allies may prove naive.

Donald Trump last week promised to stand with Theresa May "all the way".

This week he hopped on the phone with Vladimir Putin, congratulated him on his dodgy re-election and did not once mention the Salisbury attack.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker went one further, putting on paper his praise for Putin and his re-election in the fake presidential poll.

If President Putin judges the UK's response to the attack to have been weak he may be emboldened in the future.

"I think he is not worried," says Mr Felshtinsky, "because I'm afraid very much that what he is doing for now is just the first step.

"We don't have to think that that is where he is going to end. He is escalating, he is going further into crisis, this not the end of the story, this is just the beginning."