The Royal Bank of Scotland last night caved in to the Kremlin after threatening to close down banking facilities for a TV station spouting President Putin’s propaganda.
The state-owned bank withdrew its planned punitive action after Moscow claimed it would freeze the BBC’s finances in Russia and report Britain to international watchdogs for breaching commitments to freedom of speech.
The climbdown came after an unusually strong reaction from Moscow in defence of RT, formerly known as Russia Today, which is frequently accused of peddling disinformation.
It was a notable victory for Russia a week after Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, infuriated the Kremlin by demanding that demonstrators descend on its embassy to protest against the bombing in Aleppo.
Theresa May spent the day sitting on