Steve Holland, Guy Faulconbridge, and Dmitry Antonov

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States and its allies prepared a list containing Russian elites within or close to President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle for sanctions if Russia sends soldiers into Ukraine. This was a top U.S. official stated on Monday.

Britain called on Putin to “step away from the brink” following Russian troop buildup in Ukraine. It also warned against incursions by companies and individuals with close connections to the Kremlin.

Dmitry Peskov (Kremlin spokesperson) called the British warnings “very concerning”, saying they made Britain less attractive for investors and could hurt British companies.

He stated that it was rare to hear and see direct threats of attacking businesses. Russian companies are targeted by certain countries. Retaliatory actions against them will be taken, and we’ll take the necessary steps to protect our interests.

Boris Johnson, British Prime Minster was to phone Putin Monday to discuss the matter and then fly to Ukraine on Tuesday.

Johnson said to reporters, “What I will tell President Putin is that we truly all need to move back from this brink. And I think Russia should step back from this brink.”

According to a spokesperson from the State Department, Sergei Lavrov will be calling Antony Blinken, Secretary of State in the United States on Tuesday.

On Monday, U.N. Security Council members met openly at request from the United States to talk about Russia’s troop increase. According to the United States, the fifteen-member group was a forum for Russia’s explanation.

Vasily Nebenzya (Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations) stated that the West had claimed it had 100,000 troops in Ukraine at the time of the meeting. This was not confirmed by the international organization.

He claimed that the United States was provocative in their talk about war, stated that Russia regularly deployed troops within its territory, and said that Ukraine’s crisis is a domestic matter.

China’s Ambassador to the United Nations stated that China does not consider Russia’s military presence near its border a threat. He also urged everyone to refrain from aggravating the situation.

RUSSIAN MONEY ABROAD

London is the preferred destination for large outflows of funds from ex-Soviet republics since 1991’s fall of Soviet Union.

Opponents of Putin have long urged the West to get tough https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/how-financial-western-sanctions-might-target-russia-2022-01-19 on Russian money, though oligarchs and Russian officials continue to flaunt their wealth at Europe’s most luxurious destinations.

Washington and London refused to reveal the names of those they were planning to target.

According to a U.S. official, “The people we identified belong in or near the Kremlin inner circles and are involved in government decision making or at minimum are complicit with the Kremlin’s destabilizing behaviors.”

Putin’s close aides won’t be allowed to act as proxy for their spouses, or any other members of the family to escape sanctions. They would be cut off from international finance and they will not be able to use their families’ money for the West.

Russia, which took Crimea in Ukraine from Ukraine in 2014, and supports pro-Russian rebels fighting the government forces there, has denied any plans to invade. However, Russia is asking for sweeping security guarantees, including a NATO pledge not to admit Ukraine.

While some NATO nations, such as the United States of America and Britain, have provided arms for Ukraine to help them fight in wars elsewhere on their territory they have not yet sent troops.

Poland, which borders Ukraine and the Russian enclaves of Kaliningrad, Belarus, is hosting Russian drills.

“NOWHERE TO HIDE!”

Liz Truss (British foreign minister) announced Sunday that she will introduce new legislation to increase the number of sanctions available to Russia.

Britain has already imposed sanctions https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list on about 180 people and 48 entities since Russia annexed Crimea, including six people it says are close to Putin. Britain can block individuals and freeze assets through the sanctions.

Yet, Britain still has a softer approach to Russia’s business class than the United States. For instance, it spared Igor Sechin from being sanctioned by Washington in 2014 for his role as Rosneft’s CEO.

Many of its members are part NATO. The European Union has threatened Russia with “strong political consequences” and huge economic losses if Russia invades Ukraine.

Europe’s dependency on Russian energy resources weakens its hand. America has requested Qatar, a top-producing gas country and major exporters of gas, to examine whether additional gas can be supplied to Europe in the event that Russian flow disruptions occur.

(Guy Faulconbridge, Dmitry Antonov and Guy Faulconbridge were reported from London; additional reporting by William James from London and Michelle Nichols; writing by Kevin Liffey; editing by Timothy Heritage and Toby Chopra.