That makes it difficult for the U.K. to impose meaningful sanctions on Russia for fear of harming British business interests and innocent Russians. "Russia is a skillful and growing threat to the U.K., yet Russia's elite uses the U.K., like no other country, to legitimate and protect its wealth," he said. Underlying calls for tougher action is the sense that at least some Russian money is dirty, a view fed by the recent BBC drama "McMafia," a fictional account of the links between Russian mobsters and the government. In addition, London is only a four-hour flight from Moscow, it has an established Russian community and many cultural links. Russian money has even infiltrated that most English of institutions, Premier League soccer.

Source: ABC News March 20, 2018 13:16 UTC