Hunt to urge EU to stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with US by imposing comprehensive sanctions on Russia

Foreign Secretary warns that Moscow’s ‘malign behaviour’ is undermining the international order

‘Russia’s foreign policy under President Putin has made the world a more dangerous place’

THE European Union should stand “shoulder to shoulder” with the United States by imposing sanctions on Russia in the wake of Salisbury spy poisoning, Jeremy Hunt will say today.

Speaking in Washington, the Foreign Secretary is expected to say Russia’s “aggressive and malign behaviour undermines the international order”.

A new round of US sanctions on Russia comes into force tomorrow. It already has more wide-ranging sanctions in place against Russia than the UK, in- cluding travel bans and asset freezes for hundreds of Russian companies and oligarchs, including the billionaire Oleg Deripaska and his firm En+, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Mr Deripaska denies “the alleged basis” of US sanctions against him.

“Of course we must engage with Moscow, but we must also be blunt: Russia’s foreign policy under President Putin has made the world a more dangerous place,” Mr Hunt will say in his speech at US Institute of Peace.

“And today the United Kingdom asks its allies to go further by calling on the European Union to ensure its sanctions against Russia are comprehensive, and that we truly stand shoulder to shoulder with the US.”

At present, the UK cannot unilaterally enforce sanctions while it is bound by law to the EU’S sanctions regime.

Responding to Mr Hunt’s words, anti-corruption campaign groups said the UK could still do more to curb “dirty” money.

Robert Barrington, the executive director of Transparency International UK, said: “The UK needs to act against those who break the rule of law and ignore international standards.

“They use the UK as their playground and London property as a safe haven for the proceeds of corruption.

“It is time to stop letting corrupt cronies of the world’s corrupt autocrats launder their money and reputations through the UK and its overseas territories and Crown dependencies.

“It is within the power of the Government to stop this: it should act.”

Bob Seely, the Conservative MP who sits on the foreign affairs committee, said: “We need to be much more robust over cash from Putin cronies coming through the UK, and work with the US

‘They use the UK as their playground and London property as a safe haven for the proceeds of corruption’

administration on a shared list of sanctioned individuals.”

This month, the administration of President Donald Trump, announced that new sanctions would be imposed against Russia over the poisoning in Salisbury of Sergei Skripal, the Russian former double agent, and his daughter Yulia.

The sanctions will limit exports to Russia along with the financing of deals with the country. They could potentially cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in future exports to Russia.

A second, more painful round of sanctions would be introduced three months later unless Russia provides “reliable assurances” that it won’t use chemical weapons in the future and agrees to “on-site inspections” by the United Nations – conditions unlikely to be met.

The sanctions could include downgrading diplomatic relations between the countries, suspending state airline Aeroflot’s ability to fly to the US, and cutting off nearly all exports and imports.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has accused Britain of making baseless accusations over the Salisbury poisonings.

In addition to speaking about Russia, Mr Hunt will today also repeat his warnings to the nation over a “no-deal” Brexit.

“One of the biggest threats to European unity would be a chaotic no-deal Brexit,” he is expected to say.

While in Washington, Mr Hunt will meet Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, as well as other members of the Trump administration.

He will then travel on to New York to address the United Nations Security Council.