Changing our Russian tone

Theresa May with Vladimir Putin (Image: RT.com)

"There lived a certain man in Russia long ago, he was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow. Most people look at him with terror and with fear, but to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear."

Don't worry, Boney M wasn't singing about Vladimir Putin. Their song, released in 1978, was about Grigori Rasputin, a self-proclaimed holy man - a pro-royalist who supported the last Emperor of Russia. Rasputin next year will be 150 years old but I wonder if he ever imagined the Russia he is said to have loved remain the pantomime villain of the world.

It is fair to say that the Russian government is loathed by most of the leaders across the world. I don't know how they do it. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, thus ending the Cold War, it was hoped the new-look Russia would befriend their former enemies. This has backfired big time and can have a detrimental impact on the globe as we see it.

In recent years, the Russian government has done themselves little favours. They didn't listen to the universal outcry over their stance on the Syrian civil war. They're ruffling sporting feathers, being blamed for their athletes cheating their way towards podium finishes in the recent Olympic Games. They sound like ridiculously naughty teenagers in a tranquil school classroom.

Like naughty teenagers, Russia's antics could get them in a lot more trouble as they perhaps intend to be. In the idyllic Wiltshire city of Salisbury, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were having an innocent dinner in a Zizzi restaurant until their afternoon went drastically wrong. To cut the long story short, they were poisoned with the deadly Novichok nerve agent. As I write this, they remain in critical condition, which they have been for the past two weeks.

Zizzi in Salisbury (Image: Dorset Echo)

When I first heard about this story, I instantly thought of the Alexander Litvinenko case in 2006 when the former Russian spy was poisoned to death. Alarmingly, since Vladimir Putin was inaugurated as the country's president in 2000-2008 and 2012 until the present day, a reported 14 former Russian expats died in the UK.

Quite understandably, this statistic, in addition to the latest poisoning controversy, has brought the Westminster parliament together with this week seeing MPs debating about what to do. This is a big deal and the government are investigating the tragic mysteries. As this week progressed however, reports of another Russian expat death in Nikolai Glushkov. Allegedly, Mr Glushkov, among the other victims mentioned here, have spoken out against the Putin regime so it's very easy to conclude that he - or at least his 'people' - shall claim responsibility for these deaths.

It may take a Sherlock Holmes to uncover the truths surrounding this particular contentious issue. Yet, Chief Inspector Theresa May - UK's Prime Minister - has said it is 'highly likely' to be the Russian government killing ex-officials in British soil. Already, Westminster has imposed crippling sanctions on Russia and it's almost definite they'll punish the country with extra measures - and Putin is absolutely furious. This weekend, his government has imposed tit-for-tat sanctions on Britain.

Putin and his people may not be happy bunnies on the outside, yet I bet they're loving the attention being received by the whole world. Theresa May may be using this golden chance to get the globe on her side, with the United States, the EU and elsewhere shouting about their Russian displeasure, this is ideal for Putin. With an election just around the corner, he's making himself to be the royal victim. Only time will tell whether voters in Russia would listen to his pleas.

This is where Westminster has to be careful. While I don't see the UK and Russia becoming the best of mates in the near future, you certainly wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of Russia, especially when you're jumping into conclusions of crimes they could have committed before any investigation takes place. If they're as dangerous as May and her immediate predecessor - David Cameron - lead the public to believe, is completely shutting them away going to really improve relations?

Remember, the Russian government has ministers and a leader who are naughty teenagers. They'll just keep pushing their agenda until they get bored. I suggest Westminster be like any decent teacher, by sitting down in silence until they shut up. Reacting without logic will encourage Putin to push his troublesome agenda further. Investigate and bring culprits to justice, absolutely. However, by showing your disgust towards Putin or his people every time they talk or allegedly play with fire, they're only going to carry on doing it. And for heaven's sake, please don't let England boycott the forthcoming World Cup in Russia.

Theresa May with Xi Jinping (Image: Washington Post)

If Theresa May wants to be vocal about international politics, surely it should be surrounding events in China? Their President Xi Jinping will never face a general election again as his proposal for an unlimited presidential term has been granted by the Beijing parliament. Anyone who dares disagree with him get arrested and tried.

It's absolutely crazy that President Xi Jinping will never be democratically put to the test by his people. Does he think he's invincible? Considering China's economy is among the biggest in the world, power has gone over their leader's head. Can you imagine if this happened anywhere in Europe? Theresa May would be up in arms. She seems to be only so if and when it suits her. Even Putin goes through an election process, though every six years. Whether the results are fixed or not, as been reported previously, is another debate altogether.

Theresa May sadly dares to criticise the Chinese government because they're a potential lucrative trade partner. Would Mrs May, and her immediate successors, like the sound of working with President Xi for the next up to 30-40 years? There's only so much you can ignore when a country's (you want to befriend) human rights record is poor for a rich nation.

But of course, it's Russia who is the only powerhouse we should really be hating. They're far, far, far away from being a decent force of good. The fact the United Nations feel powerless to do anything meaningful about Russia's behaviour is a great injustice. They congregate and say 'Russia is naughty', it's laughable. And while Mr Putin is likely to dodge another election unscathed, there is a clear need for world leaders to improve their approach to Russia. Sanctions never work as it harms innocent citizens instead of denting governments. If Putin is a guilty man, there is a greater power than him and his so-called 'mafia' to robustly hold him to account. The notion that he is untouchable is madness.

Ooh, those Russians, so that Boney M song concludes.