US President Donald Trump said he would condemn Russia if British evidence incriminated Moscow in nerve-agent poisoning of a former Russian spy.
Prime Minister Theresa May, who said on Monday it was “highly likely” that Russia was behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, also won support from some of Britain’s main European allies and the European Union which denounced the attack as “shocking” and offered help to track down those responsible.
Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of the US-led Nato alliance said the attack was “horrendous.”
Russia, however, signalled little likelihood that it would respond adequately to London’s call for a credible explanation by today.
Denying it had played any part in the attack, which left the 66-year-old Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia fighting for their lives, Russia demanded London hand over samples of the nerve agent used and comply with international obligations for joint investigations of such incidents.
“Any threats to take ‘sanctions’ against Russia will not be left without a response,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. “The British side should understand that.”
Russia is in the run-up to a presidential election on Sunday in which President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB spy, is expected to coast to a fourth term in the Kremlin.
Skripal, a former officer with Russian military intelligence, betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before being arrested in Moscow and jailed in 2006.
He was released under a spy swap deal in 2010 and took refuge in Britain where he had been living quietly in Salisbury until he and his daughter were found unconscious on a public bench there on March 4. A policeman who went to the aid of Skripal was also affected by the nerve agent. He is now conscious in a serious but stable condition.
May said on Monday Britain had identified the substance as belonging to the lethal Novichok group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet military in the 1970s and 1980s.
She and her ministers say Britain will take further “robust” punitive action against Russian interests – beyond sanctions already in place – if Putin does not come up with a credible explanation of events.
With messages of solidarity coming from France’s Emmanuel Macron and from Germany’s new coalition, the expression of support from Trump – though cautiously worded – gave May additional hope of marshalling Western backing for her government as it heads into a showdown with Putin.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump acknowledged the British charges of involvement against Russia, but said he needed to talk to May before rendering a judgment.
“As soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be,” Trump, who earlier fired secretary of state Rex Tillerson after a series of policy rifts, said.
“It sounds to me like they believe it was Russia, and I would certainly take that finding as fact,” he added.
It remains to be seen how much of a rupture in relations with Russia May’s government is prepared to envisage.
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