Protesters on Monday took matters into their own hands, breaking into and occupying a luxury property beneficially owned by oligarch Oleg Deripaska…reports Asian Lite News
The government on Monday said it was considering housing Ukrainian refugees in property owned by sanctioned Russian oligarchs, as it prepared to announce a programme for people to open their homes to those fleeing the war.
When asked if he supported calls for oligarchs’ houses to be seized for refugees, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said it was “something we’re looking at”.
Health minister Sajid Javid earlier cautioned that the mansions should not be the “first place” considered to house refugees, warning of “legal hurdles” to clear first.
Protesters on Monday took matters into their own hands, breaking into and occupying a luxury property beneficially owned by oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
“We are a property liberation front,” one of the activists said. “I think a war refugee deserves it, it would at least raise his mood a little bit.”
Deripaska was last week hit with an assets freeze and travel ban alongside six other Russian billionaires, including his former business associate Roman Abramovich.
The UK has faced criticism over its policy towards those fleeing the violence, with places limited at the moment to those who already have family in the country.
But the government’s “Homes for Ukraine” programme could see “tens of thousands” of Ukrainians without family ties be allowed to stay in the UK.
Abramovich sanctioned in Australia
Australia on Monday joined the United Kingdom and the United States in sanctioning key Russian oligarchs, including Roman Abramovich, owner of the English Premier League football club Chelsea.
The Scott Morrison government announced on Monday fresh sanctions on 33 Russian oligarchs, prominent businesspeople and their immediate family members.
“The sanctions announced today reinforce Australia’s commitment to sanction those people who have amassed vast personal wealth and are of economic and strategic significance to Russia, including as a result of their connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin,” said Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne.
Other than Abramovich, the list includes Alexey Miller the CEO of Gazprom, Dmitri Lebedev Chairman of Rossiya, Sergey Chemezov Chair of Rostec, Nikolay Tokarev CEO of Transneft, Igor Shuvalov Chairman Vnesheconombank (VEB.RF) and Kirill Dmitriev CEO of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
“We strongly support recent announcements by Canada, the European Union, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of further restrictive measures against key Russian individuals,” said Payne.
Australia said that it has joined with partners in establishing strong, sequential sanctions, with over 460 sanctions placed on individuals and entities in past weeks.
This includes the Central Bank of Russia; their national sovereign wealth fund, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF); Russia’s Armed Forces; political and military figures including President Putin, his Security Council and his strategic drivers of disinformation; and a number of oligarchs.
“We will continue to coordinate closely with our partners to impose a high cost on Russia for its actions. The Australian Government reiterates our strongest support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the people of Ukraine,” Payne added.
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