British nationals fighting for Russia are “traitors” who should be prosecuted if they survive Vladimir Putin’s war machine, Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat has declared.
Mr Tugendhat told the Daily Express the group of at least 15 Brits helping Moscow are “unbelievably stupid”. He said they should be prosecuted “when they return – if they return”.
Brits fighting for Russia
One of the British pro-Russian fighters, Ben Stimson, told LBC he knew of around 15 Britons who had joined Putin’s war and that “there could be more”. The Daily Express understands the number of people helping the Russian dictator’s troops is in “double figures”.
Mr Tugendhat told this newspaper: “Let's be absolutely clear: they're traitors. And as soon as they come back to anywhere within UK jurisdiction, they should be prosecuted. They are currently committing a crime under the National Security Act. They are giving material assistance to a foreign military service. They are, in that sense, committing a very severe, very serious crime. There is absolutely no question that they will have to be prosecuted when they return - if they return. They're also unbelievably stupid.”
Stimson told LBC: “Usually when Brits contact me it’s bravado.”
War-like acts warning
Vladimir Putin and his military commanders have been accused of forcing troops into near-certain death, dubbed the meat-grinder, in an attempt to overwhelm Ukrainian forces. Waves of soldiers are ordered into battle with little - if any - chance of progress.
Mr Tugendhat also warned Russia and Iran are committing “war-like acts in the United Kingdom”. He said: “What we’re seeing is we’re seeing countries around the world committing war-like acts in the United Kingdom, whether that’s threatening our air bases or attempting to assassinate individuals here in the UK, which Iran and Russia have done, whether it’s stealing technology, trying to undermine our security, which is what China is doing, or whether it’s planting bugs and listening systems within our networks, which frankly all three are doing. So we are in a moment where we just simply have to realise this is not a time for amateurs. It’s not a time for game playing. It’s a time for serious, responsible government, and I’m afraid that means tough decisions.”
The senior Tory blasted Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, accusing him of “sacrificing Britain’s future” by choosing virtue signalling over intelligence sharing and national security.
Chagos deal criticism
He pointed to Labour’s Chagos deal, adding: “We never agreed to do that court’s jurisdiction over Commonwealth matters. We’ve got Ed Miliband, we have a Foreign Secretary who thinks that the right thing to do is to shake hands with the Iranian foreign minister at the same time as the Iranian government is planning to attack the United Kingdom. As Conservatives, we think that’s wrong. We think it is wrong to have a man in the Foreign Office who ties our energy to China instead of deepening and strengthening our resources from the North Sea. We think it is wrong to have a Foreign Secretary who chooses to virtue-signal over intelligence-sharing in a way that will keep Britons safe. Because that isn’t serving the British people, that is serving his personal agenda. Let’s be clear, he’s not putting Britain first, he’s sacrificing Britain’s future.”
Britain agreed to cede sovereignty of the Indian Ocean islands after more than two centuries of control when Sir Keir Starmer was in No 10 last year. Under the plans the UK would retain a 99-year lease over its biggest island, Diego Garcia, and its strategic military base. But the legislation required to implement the agreement was paused in April because of opposition from America with President Trump describing the deal as a "big mistake". And Mr Burnham has admitted the agreement is dead in its current form.
Mr Tugendhat said: “Just look at the Chagos deal. We never agreed to that court’s jurisdiction over Commonwealth matters, it is a violation of law to claim it. It is ridiculous to allow Chinese and Russian officials to determine our sovereignty. They’ve been absolutely clear, they’re not looking at the law but at the politics and that has led to what we’re seeing today, a courtroom colonialism, an expanding mandate over a people who never consented to the jurisdiction of the body that’s claiming it. For too long, many in the Foreign Office have acted as if they were an international NGO, and they have forgotten that the treaties are there to make Britain stronger, not to make us weaker ... We’ve got ourselves tied into knots in recent years, haven’t we, bowing to process and not following justice.”
