NEW DELHI: The Deputy PM of the United Kingdom, Dominic Raab, has urged India and China to increase diplomatic pressure on Russia to stop the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
"China has got a job here. They've got to step up as well - this is a permanent member of the (UN) Security Council, and India as well. We need to expand the diplomatic pressure," Raab said while speaking to the British media.
Both India and China have refrained from condemning Russia and both have close ties. Raab hope that both India and China could leverage their close ties with Russia to pressurise Putin to end the conflict.
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Raab also labelled Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons as rhetoric and brinkmanship. Meanwhile, Britain will seek to speed up its sanctions process via new legislation designed to allow ministers to tighten restrictions on Russian businesses and wealthy individuals.
The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill is being pushed through Parliament next week as Britain tries to punish those with links to President Putin, in response to his invasion of Ukraine.
"Punishing sanctions are meaningless until properly implemented and these changes will allow us to pursue Putin’s allies in the UK with the full backing of the law, beyond doubt or legal challenge," UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.