#Kingdom of war part 1 how to#

In truth, it is no more than that, but for the present it probably represents the most that is politically feasible. However, being more cautious about handing out passports to rich Russians (so that they can more easily be deported or excluded) and having a register of вЂњforeign agentsвЂќ (criminalizing acting as an instrument of the Kremlin without declaring that role) is a start.

This is a tough problem, which is really in the realm of the intelligence services rather than the police. The British government will need the will and the powers to tackle specific cases where Russian money is buying influence at the KremlinвЂ™s behest. The priority is going to be to deal with the immediate threat that rich Russians could become Russian President Vladimir PutinвЂ™s lobbyists. Especially while facing the potential economic hit of Brexit, no British government is going to be eager to turn away foreign cash. LetвЂ™s be honest, though: It prizes its role as a magnet for global assets. It would be nice to think of the United Kingdom becoming a superpower of ethics. In this case, it needs to be tackled across the board, addressing everything from media control to political funding. Arguably, this is not a вЂњRussian oligarchвЂќ issue but a wider problem of how money can buy access and leverage, distorting the democratic process on behalf of foreign interests. Of course, there are close ties between many rich Russians and the Kremlin, just as there are between many rich Chinese expats and the Communist Party, for example.

The report claims that this money is вЂњalso invested in extending patronage and building influence across a wide sphere of the British establishment.вЂќ One particular weakness is that the Intelligence and Security Committee gives no examples of how this practice actually influenced the political process, and how the Kremlin may have benefited from this. Apparently, the veteran parliamentarians of a country that for decades has welcomed the wealthy of the worldвЂ™s dictatorships and kleptocracies were вЂњ shocked, shockedвЂќ to discover that Russian oligarchs no less appreciate the charms of one of the worldвЂ™s great financial centers combined with one of the worldвЂ™s great cities. Rich Russians have flocked to London, and their wealth buys them a degree of political leverage: Is this a security problem, an ethical challenge, or simply how Britain has always done business? The report raises concerns about the way that the United Kingdom has become a favored destination for rich Russians and their dirty money. Tackle the вЂOligarch Problem,вЂ™ but First Decide What It Is

#Kingdom of war part 1 how to#

The administration already has a Russia strategy intended to minimize the impact of Russian activities in the short term, while working for вЂњa Russia that chooses to co-operate, rather than challenge or confront.вЂќ The Intelligence and Security Committee is brutal in dissecting what it sees as an uncoordinated process in Whitehall, though, and a lack of clear tactics as to how to advance the strategy, so here are 10 suggestions.ДЎ. This would be to squander an opportunity.