London mayor calls on UK government to seize assets of Putin’s cronies

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, called on the British government to confiscate British-based property of Russian nationals affiliated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and to forward the funds from their sale to accommodating displaced Ukrainians.

This is stated in Khan's letter to the Minister of Housing, Communities and Local Government Michael Gove, Ukrinform reports with reference to the BBC.

He called on ministers to "urgently act to seize property which has been bought by Putin's cronies, so we can use the proceeds of this for the benefit of those in need".

Selling the GBP 1.1 billion (over $1.3 billion) worth of property that Transparency International says was bought by Russians accused of corruption or linked to the Kremlin in 2022 would provide sufficient financing for the construction of more than 4,000 low-cost homes.

"This could include providing affordable accommodation for some of those Ukrainians who have made London their home after fleeing Ukraine following Putin's invasion," the mayor said.

He also called for the restoration of the Ukraine Family Scheme, which allowed Ukrainians to reunite with close relatives who were granted asylum in the UK.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, UK Foreign Minister David Cameron announced on February 22 the introduction of more than 50 new sanctions against persons and entities that support Russian President Vladimir Putin's illegal war against Ukraine.

A group of international legal experts sent a letter to the official representatives of the Group of Seven, stating that the seizure of frozen Russian assets, including those of Russia’s Central Bank, does not violate international law.