A top Tory has said he wants to use the homes of Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the British Government to house Ukrainian refugees.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove confirmed he was pushing for mansions belonging to super-rich allies of the Kremlin to be seized for "humanitarian" purposes.
The UK has slapped asset freezes and travel bans on a string of wealthy Russians, including Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich.
Mr Gove admitted there was a "high legal bar" to be met but made it clear that he was pressing for tougher action.
"I want to explore an option which would allow us to use the homes and properties of sanctioned individuals - as long as they are sanctioned - for humanitarian and other purposes," he told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme.
"There's quite a high legal bar to cross and we're not talking about permanent confiscation.
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"But we are saying: 'you're sanctioned, you're supporting Putin, this home is here, you have no right to use or profit from it - and more than that, while you are not using or profiting from it, if we can use it in order to help others, let's do that'."
Mr Gove was said to have raised the issue at Cabinet two weeks ago but he met with opposition from some of Boris Johnson's top team.
One critic told the Mail on Sunday that the plan is "not legally workable" and described it as "gesture politics more suited to a banana republic".
But senior Tory backbencher Simon Hoare showed his support for the idea on Sunday, tweeting "Good", alongside Mr Gove's remarks.
Lib Dem Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael also welcomed the move, but said the Government was "moving so slowly that they risk letting Kremlin-linked oligarchs off the hook".
He added: “So far the government has sanctioned just 18 oligarchs, fewer than one a day since the invasion.
"At this rate there won’t be any oligarchs’ mansions left to seize - they’ll have all sold up and fled the country.”
Mr Abramovich and six other elite Russians were added to the UK sanctions list on Thursday.
The Chelsea owner has a multi-million pound property portfolio in the UK, as does industrialist Oleg Deripaska, who was also sanctioned.
Under the new restrictions, their assets have been frozen and they are banned from travelling to the UK.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also confirmed sanctions for 386 Russian parliamentarians who voted to recognise rebel-held Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
