Russia Faces Deadline Over Spy Poison Attack

Moscow must explain why a Russian-made nerve agent was used in the poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter by the end of Tuesday, Theresa May said.

The PM said it was “highly likely” Russia was responsible for the attack. Russia called the claims “unfounded”.

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said: “The UK is a highly valued ally, and this incident is of great concern.”

Boris Johnson said he was encouraged by the “strength of support” for the UK.

The foreign secretary said the government had been talking to “friends and partners”, including his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

He said: “I’ve been encouraged by the willingness of our friends to show support and solidarity.”

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it appeared the “really egregious act… clearly came from Russia” and there should be “serious consequences”.

Former double agent Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury city centre in Wiltshire on 4 March. They remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

Det Sgt Nick Bailey, who fell ill attending to the pair, remains seriously ill, but has been talking to his family.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd will chair a meeting of the government’s emergencies committee Cobra later to discuss the case.

Mrs May told the Commons on Monday that the poison used in the attack was a military-grade nerve agent developed by Russia. She said it was part of a group of nerve agents known as Novichok.

“Either this was a direct action by the Russian state against our country, or the Russian government lost control of its potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others,” she said.

Mrs May said the Foreign Office had summoned Russia’s ambassador to “explain which of these two possibilities it is”.

She warned that if there was no “credible response” by the end of Tuesday, the UK would conclude there has been an “unlawful use of force” by Moscow.

She said the UK must “stand ready to take much more extensive measures” against Russia than it had previously.

She said these measures would be set out in the Commons on Wednesday should there be no adequate explanation from Russia.

She described the poisoning as “an indiscriminate and reckless act against the UK, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk”.

Conservative minister Dominic Raab said sanctions could be wide-ranging but played down the involvement of Nato.

He told Radio 4’s Today programme that Mrs May “chose her words very carefully” in her Commons statement on the incident.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Mrs May’s statement was “a circus show in the British parliament”.

“The conclusion is obvious – it’s another information and political campaign based on provocation,” she said.

Yevgeny Serebrennikov, first deputy chair of the Russian Federation Council’s Defence and Security Committee, described Mrs May’s accusations as “unfounded”.

Earlier, asked whether Russia was to blame, President Vladimir Putin told the BBC: “Get to the bottom of things there, then we’ll discuss this.”

Source: BBC