Ukrainian mayor urges Boris Johnson to put Ukrainian refugees in Russian oligarchs’ mansions

• Ukrainian refugees are flooding to the city of Lviv, located close to the Polish border.
• The city’s mayor urged Boris Johnson to house them in the mansions of Russian oligarchs, the Guardian said.
• Russian oligarchs have long had strong links to London, where they own lavish property.

The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Lviv has urged British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to put Ukrainian refugees in the London mansions of Russian oligarchs.

“What we need now is for Boris Johnson to start freezing the bank accounts of Russian oligarchs in London and to seize their luxury villas,” Andriy Sadovyi told the Guardian on Tuesday.

“It would be better to use them to house Ukrainian refugees,” he added. “Johnson needs to call Putin and say: ‘Sorry Volodya, things have changed.'”

Lviv, Ukraine’s sixth-biggest city, is located about 40 miles from the border of Poland. Since the Russian invasion six days ago, it has been flooded with refugees desperately trying to flee the country. The city has not been targeted by Russian forces yet.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked powerful sanctions from Western powers, including the UK.

Liz Truss, the UK’s foreign secretary told Sky News earlier this week that the government has compiled a “hit list” of Russian oligarchs who will soon face sanctions.

But Johnson is under pressure to do more to tackle the dirty money that flows through London, in high-end properties and the financial markets. 

Russian oligarchs have long had links to London, where they own million-dollar property in areas like Belgravia and Mayfair, spend money in luxury stores and restaurants, and send their children to England’s exclusive private schools.

A 2020 report by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) described London as a “laundromat” for dirty money.

On Monday, the government brought forward the long-awaited economic crime bill, which is designed to tackle money-laundering through a range of transparency-boosting measures. However, new laws on property will not come into effect for 18 months.  

A recent reshuffle by Boris Johnson has also left the government without a minister for corruption, Insider reported last month. It is unclear whether the position has since been filled.