London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Nov 02, 2025

Ukraine conflict: Boris Johnson defends UK sanctions against Russia

Ukraine conflict: Boris Johnson defends UK sanctions against Russia

Boris Johnson has defended his sanctions against Russia, saying the UK is "out in front" globally when it comes to action against Vladimir Putin.

He promised a "further package of military support" for Ukraine, with the assets of five Russian banks and three Russian billionaires already frozen.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged the PM to bring in laws to stop oligarchs buying UK firms and property.

But Mr Johnson said no government could "conceivably be doing more".

Russian President Mr Putin ordered troops into the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine on Monday, after recognising them as independent.

It is not clear if any new Russian troops have yet been sent into the two regions, which are run by Moscow-backed separatists.

Earlier, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Mr Putin had gone "full tonto" in escalating the Ukraine crisis, adding that he had "no friends, no alliances" internationally.

In comments made to serving military personnel, the former Scots Guards officer added that his regiment had "kicked the backside" of Russia's Tsar Nicolas I in the Crimean war in the mid-19th Century, arguing that "we can always do it again".

Amid a largely sombre atmosphere at Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir said: "We all want to deter aggression in Europe.

"We are not dealing with breakaway republics. Putin is not a peacekeeper. A sovereign nation has been invaded.

"The prime minister promised that in the event of an invasion he would unleash a full package of sanctions. If not now, then when?"

Mr Johnson replied: "I don't think people quite realise the UK is out in front. We have sanctioned 275 individuals already."

He added: "There is more to come and we will be stopping Russia from raising sovereign debt, stopping companies from raising money and stopping Russian companies... even clearing in sterling and dollars on international markets."

Mr Johnson also confirmed that media watchdog Ofcom was reviewing Russia Today's licence to broadcast in the UK.

And he said an Economic Crime Bill would be brought forward in the next parliamentary session to "peel back the facade" of beneficial ownership by Russians and others of UK property and companies.

But Sir Keir said this should be brought forward to the current session, adding that Labour would support such a move.

Downing Street would not provide further details on the equipment being provided to Ukraine, for "operational security reasons".

The UK has also promised to impose sanctions on the members of Russia's parliament who voted in support of the breakaway states in eastern Ukraine.

The prime minister's spokesman said on Wednesday: "We can do this under existing legislation.

"We are finalising the evidence to bring forward new designations against the 351 members of the Russian State Assembly [or Duma] and the members of the Federation Council who voted in that way."

The EU has also said parliamentarians who backed Mr Putin over Ukraine will face sanctions.

And it is extending them to 27 more "high-profile individuals and entities", taking the total number affected to 555 individuals and 52 entities.

In addition, Germany has said it will freeze approval of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Russia.

Earlier, Downing Street held a summit with finance chiefs and regulators to discuss how to make UK sanctions effective.

This included discussions of how Russia's access to UK financial services could be further limited "if that becomes necessary," a No 10 spokesperson added.

Sources have told the BBC that Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has written up a "long list" of Russian individuals and organisations, including more oligarchs and banks close to the Kremlin, to be sanctioned if the situation in Ukraine gets worse.

The Foreign Office is also likely to target Russian companies in the defence, energy, technology and chemical sectors.


Britain will provide a "further package of military support" to help Ukraine says the PM

Watch: Starmer calls Russia Today Putin's "personal propaganda tool"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Glamour UK Says ‘Stay Mad Jo x’ After Really Big Rowling Backlash
Former Prince Prince Andrew Faces Possible U.S. Congressional Appearance Over Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
UK Faces £20 Billion Productivity Shortfall as Brexit’s Impact Deepens
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Eyes New Council-Tax Bands for High-Value Homes
UK Braces for Major Storm with Snow, Heavy Rain and Winds as High as 769 Miles Wide
U.S. Secures Key Southeast Asia Agreements to Reshape Rare Earth Supply Chains
US and China Agree One-Year Trade Truce After Trump-Xi Talks
BYD Profit Falls 33 % as Chinese EV Maker Doubles Down on Overseas Markets
US Philanthropists Shift Hundreds of Millions to UK to Evade Regulatory Uncertainty in Trump Era
Israeli Energy Minister Delays $35 Billion Gas Export Agreement with Egypt
King Charles Strips Prince Andrew of Titles and Royal Residence
Trump–Putin Budapest Summit Cancelled After Moscow Memo Raises Conditions for Ukraine Talks
Amazon Shares Soar 11% as Cloud Business Hits Fastest Growth Since 2022
Credit Markets Flooded with More Than $200 Billion of AI-Linked Debt Issuance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Says China Made 'a Real Mistake' by Threatening Rare-Earth Exports
Report Claims Nearly Two Billion Dollars in Foreign Charity Funds Flowed into U.S. Advocacy Groups
White House Refutes Reports That US Targeting Military Sites in Venezuela
Meta Seeks Dismissal of Strike 3’s $350 Million Copyright Lawsuit
Apple Exceeds Forecasts With $102.5 Billion Q3 Revenue Despite iPhone Miss
Israel's IDF Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi Admits to Act Amounting to Aiding Hamas During Wartime (Treason)
Shawbrook IPO Marks London’s Biggest UK Listing in Two Years
UK Government Split Over Backing Brazil’s $125 Billion Tropical Forest Fund Ahead of COP30
J.K. Rowling Condemns Glamour UK Feature of Nine Trans Women as 'Men Better at Being Women'
King Charles III Removes Prince Andrew’s Titles and Orders His Departure from Royal Lodge
UK Finance Minister Reeves Releases Email Correspondence to Clarify Rental-Licence Breach
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
×