Translated by Ollie Richardson & Angelina Siard

00:04:39
30/03/2018

ria.ru

The European and American press actively discuss the expulsion of Russian diplomats from different countries. Western media sharply criticised the States that didn’t join the campaign, and proposed additional measures — from the seizure of property of Russian citizens to the use of “brute force”.

“Tables of shame”

Some media published “tables of shame” with a list of the “non-aligned” countries. For some reason special anger was caused by Portugal, “the oldest ally of Britain”. The Sky News channel even decided to explain that the Portuguese are “often referred to as Britain’s oldest ally, or more accurately – England’s oldest ally”.

The British newspapers are sincerely indignant because some European governments dared to demand direct proof of the participation of Russia in the poisoning in Salisbury. If things continue like this, London can expel the diplomats of countries that refused to participate in the anti-Russian actions.

Moreover, the vast majority of commentators recognise the uselessness of such measures. Russia in reply will expel the same number of diplomatic employees — and “Moscow’s suffering” will be counterbalanced by the same problems of the western States. That’s why it isn’t necessary to stop at what was achieved and to “punish Russia” even more strongly.

“Come back home to Russia”

Practically everybody demands to organise hunting for the property of “Russian oligarchs”. No article that talks about possible sanctions avoids to use the word “seize”. Moreover, by the word “oligarchs” they mean simply those who speak Russian and who once were photographed together with a Russian official.

For example, with the impetus of the Labourite press, there were calls to the Conservative Party to return the contributions that arrived from “Russian donors” (from the moment Theresa May became the Prime Minister already £820,000 of such donations were counted). The fact that among the largest three donors two are citizens of Great Britain and another has dual Spain and Luxembourg citizenship doesn’t disturb anybody.

By the way, one of this trio – Aleksandr Temerko – was declared by Russia as wanted concerning the Yukos case. His British property is also going to be “seized”.

The fugitive businessmen who left Russia long ago became nervous. The businessman Evgeny Chichvarkin, who has been living in London since 2008, looked very confused when he was asked to comment on Euronews: “You ask what you have to do in order to punish Vladimir Putin? I will answer — punish Putin personally, and not people who have lived here for 15 or 20 years. It’s impossible to do it like this, and if any oligarch who lives here is punished because of Putin, so Putin will say: ‘Yes, I was right, they are enemies. And now take the money back, cancel investments, and come back home to Russia’. Who is the winner? Putin”.

“To demoralise the Russian people”

The calls of the British media to “seize” the property of Russians and former Russians aren’t supported by any references to any laws.

It reached such a level that in an editorial article of “The Times” it directly mentions the need to confiscate the planes of “Aeroflot” because “in the past the enemies came to Britain via them”. We will emphasise, this is not someone’s private opinion. It is an editorial article of the main conservative newspaper that demands to seize Russian planes, i.e., to commit, in fact, a terrorist attack.

There are also other proposals. For example, Politico debates about the possibility of “cyberwar” against Russia and carrying out psychological operations, in particular, to “develop and release propaganda to influence, confuse and demoralise the Russian people”. The publication doesn’t exclude that such operations are already being conducted.

And finally, one of options is the use against Russia of “brute force”. I.e, to declare war.

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