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Russia is being painted as the bully of the world. Whether this is true or not, there’s no denying the global power it wields. The Cold War has now been replaced by cyber warfare.

This week Britain’s military ­intelligence chief, Sir Christopher Deverell, said Kremlin agents had the potential to shut down our power supplies and even our air traffic control systems.

And Russia’s alleged ability to interfere in the democratic elections of other countries is without doubt deeply worrying.

As we’ve seen in their alleged cyber support to help the election of Donald Trump, it’s reported that they even successfully lobbied to block the appointment of the hawkish Mitt Romney as the ­President’s Secretary of State.

It is similar to interventions made by the US in some countries in Eastern Europe.

(Image: REUTERS)

President Reagan demanded Russia tear down the Berlin Wall. Trump’s priority is to build one in Mexico, for his America First policy.

It is becoming clear that Russia has major questions to answer over the attempted murder of Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

And a third victim of that attack was a British policeman who came to the pair’s aid.

It’s 2018 and two Russian exiles have apparently been targeted for assassination with a nerve agent in Wiltshire.

A chemical weapon being used by a foreign country in Britain.

Saddam and others only had the potential to harm us with chemical weapons.

If proven, it would not be the first time the Kremlin has been accused of killing without ­impunity in our country.

Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko was murdered when he was poisoned with polonium in London in 2006. A Scotland Yard lawyer and a 10-year investigation concluded the only “credible ­explanation” for the death was Russian state involvement.

And former Shadow Home ­Secretary Yvette Cooper is asking for 14 unexplained Russian deaths on British soil – which the US claim are linked to Russia – to be probed by the National Crime Agency.

(Image: Splash News)

If it’s proved Russia has been involved in a state-sanctioned attempted murder of a father, his daughter and a British policeman, drastic action must be taken.

Boris Johnson’s threat of stopping our government officials from going to the World Cup in Russia is not enough.

It reminded me of Thatcher’s call to boycott the Olympics because of Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan.

We ended up doing the same thing 38 years later and no one banned us.

The world body of athletes banned Russia from its events because of its blatant state ­involvement in the use of ­performance-enhancing drugs.

If the link to the ­Salisbury attacks is proved, let’s crash the party and boycott the Russian World Cup completely – team and all – and break off all links with the country.

If the Russian bear did stalk and attack in our green and pleasant lands, then our Lions must not set foot on the pitches of Volgograd and Kaliningrad.