Russia's behavior in Ukraine and the accompanying litany of untruths told by President Vladimir Putin and his ministers have finally exhausted the patience of Western leaders.
This is a watershed. Western leaders had mainly chosen to disregard Putin's encouragement of a system which had progressively led to the capture of the Russian state by oligarchic interests. Commercial and political considerations in leading Western countries prevailed over voices inside and outside Russia warning of the dangers posed by a lawless system to its citizens as well as neighboring countries and the wider world.
Britain is a good case in point. Despite the virtual breakdown of its political relationship with Russia after the "polonium murder" of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, London's lawyers, bankers, accountants and PR consultants happily lined up to work for the Putin system. Law firms enjoyed particularly rich pickings servicing Russia's ruling class in the English courts.
On the face of it, this is compelling evidence of Britain's soft power and the respect in which its institutions are held in Russia. The openness of London and the pre-eminent reputation of English jurisdiction also attract Russians eager to find the justice that eludes them in their own country's courts.
INC News, 16/09/2014
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