Poor Russia. Putin’s Russia seems to be on the edge. Whether the poisoning of Litvinenko was to do with the FSB [Russia’s secret services – the wearer of the KGB’s mantle] or some oligarch inspired security force, it’s reminiscent of a bygone age.
Chechnya and the oil fields of Central Asia feel like a million miles away, but the intrigue and murder happening on our own soil feels like we’ve been violated. Why are we so surprised? Why are we thrilled by the chase and death in the Bourne Supremacy, but when it turns up in a familiar environment do we throw up our hands and wonder where the world is going?
London has always been an international city. While it has benefited from the wealth of the Russian oligarchs and become the playground of the oil-billionaires, it is now also a battle ground seeing the settling of scores and the death of enemies.
We are seeing a restructuring of the world around us – an unfortunate globalisation of assinations alongside our cola, computers and other comforts. We shouldn’t be surprised if more of this is to happen. As London becomes richer and a place where the world does business instead of New York, it is going to see more danger.Â