The Sun reports that Russia's war with Britain is getting dirtier and uglier, a clear sign of pathetic desperation on the part of "mighty" Russia (more here from the Daily Mail):

Forgeign secretary David Miliband [pictured] was last night the victim of a dirty tricks campaign by the Russian government. A close adviser to President Vladimir Putin claimed the MP for South Shields, South Tyneside, had inherited a hatred of Russia from his Polish grandfather Samuel. Gleb Pavlovsky, leader of an influential thinktank, said Samuel fought against Russians during the turbulent 1920s. He accused the MPs’s grandfather, who died 40 years ago, of fighting under the command of Trotsky to kill Russians opposed to communism. The allegations, which have not been verified, are seen as part of a diplomatic row between the two countries.

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The accusations focus on Mr Miliband’s Jewish roots, in an apparent attempt to discredit his reputation in a country infamous for anti-semitism. A spokeswoman for the Jewish community in Warsaw, Poland, said: “These remarks are probably intended for a Russian audience.” Academic Michael Newman, who has written a book on Samuel’s son Ralph, a political activist, said he did not believe the claim. He said he did not accept Samuel killed Russians or fought in the Russian-Polish war of 1919 to 1920, as claimed by Mr Pavlovsky.

Mr Pavlovsky is a powerful figure in Kremlin politics and is credited with helping bring Mr Putin to power. The slur is regarded a part of Russia’s response to Mr Miliband’s tough stance in the row over the poisoning of a Russian dissident in London. Mr Miliband was keeping a dignified silence over the affair last night. But he previously revealed Samuel was once denied permission to live in Britain by the then Foreign Secretary H Chuter Ede. Ede, coincidentally also a South Shields MP, turned down Samuel’s immigration application in the 1940s.

Speaking in the House of Commons in his maiden speech Mr Miliband said: “Despite long correspondence, the then Home Secretary felt compelled to deny his application.” Later, however, the decision was reversed and Samuel settled in London.

Why can't Russians see that by engaging in ape-like antics of this kind, all they show is weakness, not strength.