Fury erupted today at the failure to impose tougher sanctions against Russia after Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
EU chiefs last night announced financial sanctions on 70% of Russia’s banking market, plus the energy sector, airlines, technology and visas.
But Ukraine’s foreign minister warned they would have “blood on their hands” after failing to ban Russia from the SWIFT system, which enables global payments between banks.
Boris Johnson believes banning Russia from SWIFT is “the right thing to do” but ministers admit there is resistance in other NATO member states.
Ex-European Council President Donald Tusk said Germany, Hungary and Italy had “disgraced themselves” with “pretend sanctions”.
In a furious broadside Mr Tusk, now president of the European People's Party, tweeted: “In this war everything is real: Putin’s madness and cruelty, Ukrainian victims, bombs falling on Kyiv.
“Only your sanctions are pretended.
“Those EU governments which blocked tough decisions (Germany, Hungary, Italy) have disgraced themselves.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - who spoke to Boris Johnson this morning - said: "We demand effective counteraction to the Russian Federation. Sanctions must be further strengthened."
UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said banning Russia from SWIFT was a “now decision” and could pass the UK Parliament “very, very quickly” with his support.
But Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC : "Britain wants the SWIFT system to be turned off to Russia… Other countries do not. We are going to work all day to try to get it."
Yesterday Boris Johnson’s official spokesman admitted on SWIFT: “We all recognise something needs to be done in conjunction with G7 and NATO allies and will only be successful if achieved as such.
“So we will continue those discussions.”
He added: “There are a range of views on it and we recognise it is a challenge, but certainly it is the Prime Minister’s intention - he thinks it is the right thing to do”.
It comes after Boris Johnson unveiled a 10-point sanctions plan which has been on the drawing board for months as war returned to Europe.
London will target all major Russian banks and firms, ban Aeroflot from landing flights in Britain, and target exports and five super-rich oligarchs with links to Putin.
A diplomatic source said: “They come to Harrods to shop, they stay in our best hotels when they like, they send their children to our best public schools, and that is what's being stopped.
“So that these people are essentially persona non grata in every major Western European capital in the world. That really bites.”
UK officials believe the measures will knock whole percentage points off Russia’s GDP.
But there is no agreement on banning Russia from SWIFT and the UK is still working up plans to limit the amount Russians can deposit in UK bank accounts.
No10 today confirmed there will be a £50,000 limit on the amount wealthy Russians can hold in UK bank accounts.
But a spokesman was unable to confirm when the measure will become law, or whether the £50k limit would be per person or per bank account.
Russia today banned all UK planes from landing or using Russian airspace in retaliation.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen insisted the EU’s package included financial, energy and technological sanctions aimed to deter Mr Putin from redrawing "the map of Europe by force".
In a series of tweets early on Friday morning, Ms von der Leyen said the sanctions show "how united the EU is".
She said: "First, this package includes financial sanctions, targeting 70% of the Russian banking market and key state owned companies, including in defence.
"Second, we target the energy sector, a key economic area which especially benefits the Russian state. Our export ban will hit the oil sector by making it impossible for Russia to upgrade its refineries.
"Third: we ban the sale of aircrafts and equipment to Russian airlines.
"Fourth, we are limiting Russia's access to crucial technology, such as semiconductors or cutting-edge software.
"Finally: visas. Diplomats and related groups and business people will no longer have privileged access to the European Union.”
The UK Defence Secretary today compared Vladimir Putin to Hitler as he warned the Russian President is not in his “right mind”.
Ben Wallace repeated his claim that Moscow’s leader has gone “full tonto” by invading Ukraine.
The former Army Captain said Britain’s view is now that Russia intends to “invade the whole of Ukraine” - but so far Moscow “failed” in its objectives, instead losing 450 soldiers.
He suggested Britain will be providing more military support to Ukraine - but ruled out RAF jets enforcing a no fly zone against Russian fighters, or putting British troops in the country.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba compared the war to Kyiv’s shelling by Nazis as he condemned "horrific rocket strikes” on the capital.
“Last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany," he tweeted just before 4am. "Ukraine defeated that evil and will defeat this one. Stop Putin. Isolate Russia. Sever all ties. Kick Russia out of (everywhere)."
Mr Wallace defended his controversial remark that there had been a “whiff of Munich” around diplomacy with Russia - suggesting the war has proven him right.
The Cabinet minister told Sky News: “It wasn’t the bit about appeasement I was referring to.
“In Munich in 1938, Adolf Hitler all along had a plan to invade parts of Europe. And all the diplomacy was about a straw man attempt by him to buy time.
“Putin has been set on this for many many months and certainly over a year."
In a full-scale invasion by land, air and sea, Ukraine has already lost the strategic Chernobyl nuclear site and there was fighting at Hostomel airport outside Kyiv, though Ukraine said it was later recaptured.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Facebook that he has been targeted as “enemy number one” as he ordered all males aged 18 to 60 to conscript in the Army and forbade them from leaving the country.
Boris Johnson told President Zelensky “the world is united in its horror” in a call this morning.
In a Cabinet meeting last night, the UK Prime Minister said it was a “dark day in the history of our continent, with Putin launching a cynical and brutal invasion for his own vainglorious ends.”
Western officials believe Russia intends to seize and control a very large section of Ukraine - including the capital Kiev - and will need ground troops to do so.
But they were still unclear yesterday whether that will mean occupying the whole country, or ruling Ukraine directly rather than replacing Zelensky with a favourable puppet regime.
Mr Wallace did not rule out fears that Russia will take Kyiv by the end of today - but said Moscow had repeatedly “failed” to achieve key objectives on Day One.
