Ukraine deserves better than Boris Johnson’s duplicity over refugees, oligarchs, sanctions and peerages – The Yorkshire Post says
THE UKraine crisis is, rightly, taking precedence over the police investigation into Downing Street lockdown breaches that had left Boris Johnson’s premiership hanging by a thread before Russia invaded a sovereign European state last month.
Yet, while there are Tories who believe that this represents a turning point for Mr Johnson, there’s insufficient evidence, in spite of Britain continuing to supply defensive weapons to Ukraine, to suggest that the Government is being more trustworthy.
First, Mr Johnson’s pretence on February 26 that Britain was “way out in front” on the issue of Ukrainian refugees is put to shame by the revelation that only 50 fast-tracked visas have been approved to date as Europe faces its worst security and humanitarian crisis since the Second World War.
Second, the Government’s tough talk over sanctions is at odds with certain elements of the Economic Crime Bill that was being debated by Parliament yesterday – too much latitude continues to be afforded to those Russian oligarchs with financial interests in London who will be instrumental to bringing about regime change in the Kremlin.
Finally, the obfuscation of Ministers over Mr Johnson’s decision to award a peerage to Russian-born media mogul Evgeny Lebedev, the Moscow-born son of an ex-KGB agent, amid a raft of political appointments in the summer of 2020.
Not only do these familiar traits undermine confidence in Mr Johnson’s integrity, but this duplicty risks diminishing Britain’s response to the crisis and alienating the brave people of Ukraine as they fight to save their country.
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