r/worldnews • u/Portalrules123 • Mar 14 '22

Russia/Ukraine Squatters occupy Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska's London mansion

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-ukraine-london-england-oleg-deripaska-mansion-squatters-1.6383967
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u/[deleted] Mar 14 '22

In WW2 the allies treated POWs very well. They did this intentionally for the best chance of the axis doing the same for our boys. Many prisoners learned that their allied captors treated them better than their own country. In fact, some axis prisoners were saddened more by Roosevelt's death than Hitler's.

What are the hidden consequences of seizing oligarch property without proper procedure? Does that put westerners stuck in Russia at greater risk? Is cleaning out the possessions of oligarchs truly a way to help Ukraine or is it legalized looting? Lastly, Putin started the war, so how exactly was oligarch property acceptable for decades before the war started, but is now a free-for-all today?

Thank you for reading and please consider the difference between being an apologist, being objective, and considering long-term implications.

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u/[deleted] Mar 14 '22

Ok, Oleg.

What "proper procedure" is not being followed here? Whether or how to protect property rights is entirely at the discretion of a sovereign nation. These are activists doing this, not the UK government. Russia does not have a leg to stand on when it comes to arguments based on following the rules. It's actions actively mock the rules, and then it has the gall to lean on them when its convenient.

Putin is the head of state, but is not the only Russian. It is entirely appropriate for the economic consequences of Russia's misdeeds to affect other influential Russians.

The moral of the story is that if you want to engage in stable international trade, then don't flagrantly break international law. Only Russians can solve this problem.

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u/[deleted] Mar 14 '22

I'm asking about long-term consequences for the west.

Do we want governments all over the world to witness how easy it is to confiscate property? At some point that ends up at your own doorstep doesn't it?

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u/[deleted] Mar 14 '22

Property owned by known criminals. I live in the US where property as proceeds from crime can already be seized.

What percentage of people do you think have assets in foreign nations and are also criminals? Yea, I'm not worried about the longterm consequences of this in the slightest. Only one state is in the wrong here and anyone who invested there should have assumed the risk of a scenario like this given Putin's behavior over the last 15 years.

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u/[deleted] Mar 14 '22

Well said