Spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Westminster is at long last stemming the flows of illicit wealth into Britain’s capital.
The writer oversees the Human Rights Foundation’s combating kleptocracy programme.
A year ago, with a new administration rising in Washington, it was clear that the US had taken the lead in the transatlantic fight against kleptocracy. But over the past few months, London has begun laying a blueprint to regain that pole position, and started to challenge its western allies to expand their own fight against illicit wealth and international money laundering. These moves were already long overdue. Spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government finally brought in regulations so that even if “Londongrad” is not, as the Conservatives claim, fully closed, the days of illicit Russian wealth flooding into the UK are finally coming to an end.
