Putin did not become the monster he is without the support of the world financial system. Money is king and power and the west gave it to him despite all the attrocities he was commiting.

We supported his cronies as they rushed in their hoardes to buy property in London, jewels and designer clothes for their wives, university places in Oxford and Cambridge and the like for their children.

We turned a blind eye to where the money came from and sat at the trough gorging ourselves on their gold.

It was nothing new to the banks and city firms who having scraped through the various market crashes caused by their greed happily opened their doors to the Russian oligarchs and took more than their 30 pieces of silver.

Governments looked on unconcerned and when they thought they could get away with it ministers took “loans” from the stained hands of these men knowing that their riches were only given to them with the approval of Putin who stood in the background pulling the strings.

The “Dodgy Geezers” have much to answer for.