Strained relations

 

 

TheLitvinenko murder controversy is getting murkier by the day with the British authorities asserting that Andrei Lugovoi was definitely behind the murder of the former KGB spy and that Russia should extradite him to the UK to be prosecuted. The bonhomie of the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg notwithstanding, what is not being noticed in this war of words over Litvinenko’s murder is the deep polarisation between the West and Russia that is gradually taking shape. No prizes for guessing that Russia would never agree to the extradition demand of UK. For that matter even the record of the UK on extradition is not above board. Paisley Dodds, Chief of Bureau, Associated Press, London states: ‘ Earlier Britain had declined to hand over Russian exiles such as Chechen opposition leader Akhmed Zakayev and Berezovsky. Russia is now settling scores with Britain.’ Nadeem Saifi, an accused in the murder of Gulshan Kumar was given asylum and the plea of the Indian authorities for his extradition fell on the deaf ears of the British. What is even more intriguing is the character of the man in the forefront of the UK in this affront against Russia in general and Putin in particular. Boris Berezovsky, the major protagonist of the infamous oligarchs of Russia (who virtually liquidated the industrial assets of Russia and in the process amassing huge fortunes) had once openly declared that he is preparing for an armed coup in Russia, seems to know a trifle too much. Lugovoi, now a wealthy businessman, was once Berezovsky’s chief bodyguard in Moscow. The claims of Berezovsky in the St. Petersburg Times that Putin and his henchmen would eventually exterminate Lugovoi (as he might spill the beans of the alleged conspiracy), might have a lot of takers in this world. Lugovoi is not only the prime suspect, but also the key witness, as Ian Cobain writes in the Guardian of London. Berezovsky and the UK might find it difficult to answer why the Berezovsky connection pops up every now and then. The sudden resurgence of Russia under the aegis of Putin and the major role it plays in the worldwide arms and oil market, the reason for politicking by UK (albeit with tacit US approval) is perhaps not too surprising. As it might turn out, the death of Litvinenko is the perfect excuse UK got to indulge in mudslinging in the recent past. The rest …we are well aware of.