spy poisoning crisis
Russia expels 23 British diplomats
AFP
Russia said yesterday it would expel 23 British diplomats and close a British consulate following Londons provocative measures over the poisoning of a double agent that has triggered an escalating war of words, reports AFP from Mosco. And it also said it would halt the activities of the British Council in Russia in a tough series of retaliatory measures announced after summoning British ambassador Laurie Bristow.
The Russian response was announced on the eve of a presidential election which is expected to hand Vladimir Putin a fourth term in the Kremlin, but which comes increasingly isolated. The crisis erupted after Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed to a Soviet-designed nerve agent on March 4 in the English city of Salisbury, leaving them in critical condition. London has blamed Moscow and on Friday, even directly implicated Putin in the attack, prompting the Kremlins fury.
Twenty three diplomatic staff at the British embassy in Moscow are declared persona non grata and to be expelled within a week, a foreign ministry statement said. It said this was a response to Britains provocative actions and baseless accusations over the incident in Salisbury on March 4.
Russia also said that it was withdrawing permission for Britain to operate its consulate in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg, citing a disparity in the number of diplomatic missions held by the two countries. And it said it had halted the activities of the British Council, Britains international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, across the country.
Due to the unregulated status of the British Council in Russia, its activity is halted, the foreign ministry said.
The measures are more harsh, but the British deserved them. And I dont rule out that something else could follow, first deputy head of the Russian Senates foreign affairs committee Vladimir Dzhabarov told Interfax news agency. A representative for the British Embassy in Moscow told AFP it had no immediate statement in response to the moves but would release one on social media. The ministry said it had also warned Britain that if further unfriendly actions are taken towards Russia, the Russian side retains the right to take other answering measures.
Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspension of high-level contacts over the nerve agent attack.
And she also warned more measures could follow, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack. Skripal had taken his daughter, who was on a visit from Moscow, out for lunch in Salisbury before they both collapsed on a bench.
