Mayor of London calls on Britain to sell property of ‘Putin’s friends’
26 February 11:01
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called on the UK government to sell property owned by “Putin’s friends” in the capital of England. According to the BBC, the mayor made the proposal in a letter to Housing Minister Michael Gove, reports
In a letter to the Housing Minister, the London mayor wrote that ministers should “take urgent action” to sell the property of Putin’s friends and use the proceeds to help those in need.
It is noted that the British government has imposed sanctions on 1700 individuals and organisations.
According to a new analysis by the Mayor’s Office, if the £1.1 billion worth of property identified by Transparency International in 2022 as having been bought by Russians accused of corruption or linked to the Kremlin could be sold, it would provide enough funding for more than 4,000 low-cost homes.
“This could include providing affordable housing for some of those Ukrainians who have made London their home after fleeing Ukraine following Putin’s invasion,”
– the Mayor said.
He reminded that the government has created a register of overseas organisations buying or selling property in the UK. Khan added that the current measures are not enough to prevent tax evasion and asset hiding. The Mayor of London expressed concern that financial trusts could still be used to disguise ownership of real estate.
He also called for the resumption of the Ukraine Family Scheme, which allowed Ukrainians to reunite with close relatives who had been granted asylum in the UK.
Earlier, former World Bank chief Robert Zoellick called on Western countries not to be afraid to use Russia’s frozen assets for the benefit of Ukraine, emphasising the strategic advantage of such actions.