BRITAIN is to send more weapons to embattled Ukraine within days — after Boris Johnson warned Vladimir Putin was behaving in “an illogical and irrational frame of mind”.
The Prime Minister yesterday hit the mad tyrant with an opening salvo of sanctions but came under fire for not being tougher.
Last night US President Joe Biden said Russia had moved blood and medical supplies to the Ukrainian border in a sign it is “planning on starting a war”.
Mr Johnson’s broadside came as the UK, US and EU unveiled the “first barrage” of economic sanctions aimed at making the Kremlin boss think twice about a fuller invasion of its under-fire neighbour.
But last night the Russian parliament gave Putin the green light to deploy troops abroad, with the West braced for a further incursion at any moment.
Putin stoked fears of an all-out invasion as he laid claim to more territory controlled by Kyiv.
The tyrant said he “recognised the independence” of the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions, not just the parts currently controlled by pro-Russian separatists.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the West will take “whatever action we need to deter” Putin, as Britain prepared a slew of fresh arms shipments.
Last month the UK sent hundreds of short-range anti-tank missiles to help the Ukrainians stare down the threat of invasion.
‘Absolutely catastrophic’
Additional “lethal but defensive arms” are likely to be flown in by the end of the week.
Mr Johnson said: “I believe that the British people will support the UK Government in doing that, I think that they have a right to defend their country and the UK will help them do that.”
He warned the Kremlin appeared to be “establishing the pretext for a full-scale offensive” by sending troops into the Donbas region under the guise of being “peacekeepers”.
As a result Britain is slapping sanctions on three billionaire Putin allies and five Russian banks. Mr Johnson branded “very high net wealth individuals” Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg “cronies” of Putin.
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More than 300 Russian MPs were also targeted after they voted to recognise the “independence” of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Monday’s major escalation of tensions.
The sanctions, which include UK asset freezes, a travel ban and prohibition on British individuals and firms dealing with them, were also tabled against Russian banks Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank.
The individuals were targeted for their closeness to Putin, with the Rotenbergs said to be his old friends and “judo partners”. Bank Rossiya was dubbed “Putin’s crony bank” by one diplomatic source.
Promsvyazbank was accused of being “Russia’s military bank”. The PM told the Commons this was “the first tranche, the first barrage, of what we are prepared to do, and we hold further sanctions at readiness”.
He warned it is “inevitable” he will return with a “much bigger package”. But he was slammed by all parties for not going far enough in 90 minute Commons grilling.
The PM warned an escalation would be “absolutely catastrophic” and be met with an unprecedented sanctions hit.
He said: “I’m afraid all the evidence is that President Putin is indeed bent on a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the overrunning and subjugation of an independent, sovereign European country.”
But former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith hit back: “Should it not be that we need to hit them if we’re going to hit them with sanctions hard, and hit them now. They need to feel the pain.”
Fellow Tory John Baron said: “I hope he takes away from this exchange today the strong support for tougher sanctions now because that is what is needed.”
‘Only beginning’
Foreign Affairs Committee boss Tom Tugendhat added: “I welcome the direction that we’ve taken, but I find myself, I’m afraid, along with many others on all sides of this House, asking why not more? Why not further?”
Labour leader Keir Starmer urged the PM to go further, including revoking the broadcasting licence of Kremlin mouthpiece Russia Today.
Downing Street hit back to say: “This is only beginning. This is only the first tranche of sanctions we could introduce.”
British, European and US officials were scrambling for a unified response. Germany announced it is axing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, delighting Western allies.
The £10 Billion project would see more gas flow from Russia to Germany, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz finally relented over the “grave breach” of international law.
French President Emmanuel Macron was forced to give up his failed attempts to broker a deal. Paris officials moaned that Putin had strung along the French leader. Brussels was forced to issue watered down sanctions, with the EU beset by bitter infighting.
Italy, Austria, Hungary, Spain, and Cyprus were accused of preventing tougher action. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell admitted internal talks were “not easy” and “we could have gone further”.
Scathing EU insiders said the response “isn’t even a slap on the wrist”. But an EU diplomat insisted the EU’s response was in lockstep with that of transatlantic allies.
3 tycoon cronies in sanctions takedown
THESE are the three Putin cronies Britain has hit with sanctions.
The trio of tycoons are having their assets frozen. And they will also be subject to UK travel bans and trading curbs.
GENNADY TIMCHENCO, 69, is Russia’s sixth richest man worth an estimated £14.5billion.
He is founder of the Volga Group headquartered in Luxembourg and specialising in energy, transport and infrastructure investments.
BORIS ROTENBERG co- owns SGM — the largest construction company for gas pipelines and electrical power lines in Russia.
The 65-year-old is estimated to be worth £1billion. A former professional judo trainer, he was Putin’s sparring partner.
IGOR ROTENBERG, 48, is Boris’ billionaire nephew and controller of drilling firm Gazprom Bureniye.
His father Arkady, 70, co-owns SGM. He and his brother were hit by US sanctions in 2014 and had assets frozen because of their close ties to Putin.
