British nationals in Russia whose presence is “not essential” have been told to consider leaving the country. Travel advice on the Foreign Office website on Saturday said it had been “updated to advise British nationals whose presence in Russia is not essential to consider leaving by remaining commercial routes”.
It comes after ministers have said a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine would be welcome but it is only a “small step” with the Russian invasion showing little signs of weakening. John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said “the events that are going on in Ukraine are appalling and this is obviously an illegal war that Putin is prosecuting”.
He said that while the ceasefire announced on Saturday morning was welcome, “Putin’s aggression shows little signs of abating”. There was no immediate confirmation from Ukrainian forces, but reports suggested the ceasefire had not been upheld in Mariupol.
Mr Glen, whose Salisbury constituency was hit by the Russian-backed Novichok attack four years ago, said that “anything that can assist the people of Ukraine the Government will support”. “But (the) big picture is that Putin’s aggression shows little signs of abating and the humanitarian crises that are unfolding are appalling and they are entirely his responsibility,” he said.
“The number of cities that are apparently under threat remain high and the level of the aggression and the nature of the shelling is becoming more and more desperate and indiscriminate as each day goes by.” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has again called on Nato to impose a no-fly zone over his country, warning that “all the people who die from this day forward will also die because of you”.
But the defensive alliance has refused to do so, over fears it would prompt an all-out war with nuclear-armed Russia. On Friday night, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of the threat of nuclear disaster in Europe following the Russian shelling of a Ukrainian power plant.
In an interview with foreign newspapers, the Prime Minister described the moment he was woken in the middle of the night to the news of the attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear site. “We remember what happened with Chernobyl, the radioactive clouds spread over the whole continent, and indeed, also to North America, as far as I can remember,” he said.
“There is clearly a risk… I am concerned about how we stop a disaster: there are other Ukrainian plants and there are certainly other Ukrainian radioactive nuclear waste sites.” Later, in a video message on Twitter, the PM reiterated that “however long it takes, however arduous, Putin must fail”.
Mr Johnson argued that “the world is turning its back on Putin and his regime”, with “nation after nation” taking a stand. “The vice is tightening its grip, and it will continue to tighten,” he said.
The UK Government will attempt to put further pressure on the Kremlin on Monday, with new amendments to the Economic Crime Bill aiming to speed up the process of sanctioning individuals. The changes include shortening the length of time foreign owners of UK property will be given to declare their true identity as part of a new register of overseas entities, from 18 months to six months.
A further amendment will increase criminal penalties for non-compliance from fines of up to £500 per day to up to £2,500 per day. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Glen said: “What we’re trying to do is make it more straightforward to get a legal basis to move on these individuals.
"We believe that these changes will make that difference. In this situation, we need to look at how we can expedite these decisions more swiftly.”
