‘Putin, we know who you are’: At UN, UK says Russia president runs a ‘mafia state’

The United Kingdom has slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin for running a “mafia state”.

In an impassioned address to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said even though Russia is a UNSC member and Putin claims to speak for the Global South, all he cares about his expanding his “mafia state into a mafia empire”.

“Vladimir Putin, when you fire missiles into Ukraine hospitals, we know who you are. When you send mercenaries into African countries, we know who you are. When you murder opponents in European cities, we know who you are. Your invasion is in your own interests, yours alone: to expand your mafia state into a mafia empire, an empire built on corruption,” said Lammy.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is in his interest - and his interest alone.

To expand his mafia state into a mafia empire.

This government will call out Putin’s imperialism for what it is. pic.twitter.com/P2EJLXxdJm

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) September 25, 2024

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The remarks come as the Ukraine-Russia War appears to be at a turning point. After more than two years of fighting, no end appears to be in sight. Even though Ukraine scored victories in Russia’s border province of Kursk last month, Russia has continued to make gains in eastern Ukraine and appears close to winning two strategically important cities.

Lammy further likened Putin to a slave-owner and said that Russia’s expansionist designs were akin to the slave-owning mindset of yesteryears.

As a Black man, Lammy invoked his own ancestors who he said were slaves, and said Russian actions should be called out as what they are: imperialism.

“I speak not only as a Briton, as a Londoner, and as a foreign secretary, but I say to the Russian representative, on his phone as I speak, that I stand here also as a Black man whose ancestors were taken in chains from Africa at the barrel of a gun to be enslaved, whose ancestors rose up and fought in a great rebellion of the enslaved. Imperialism: I know it when I see it and I will call it out for what it is,” said Lammy.

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Putin denies Ukraine as an independent sovereign state and is committed to ending its government. Formally, the objectives of its war is to control the eastern Ukraine where Russia currently controls around 80 per cent of the territory. It has also formally annexed four provinces of Ukraine in part: Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.

Lammy said that even though Russia is a member of the UNSC, its actions “tear up the UN charter”.