Lavrov Responds to UK’s Expulsion of Russian Diplomats Amid Skripal Case

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that UK accusations against Russia in relations to the Skripal poisoning case have all signs of provocation.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in his turn, said in an interview to Sputnik Thursday that Russia would expel UK diplomat soon, responding to the recent UK actions.

"Definitely," Lavrov said when asked whether Russia was ready to expel UK diplomats, adding that it would take place "soon."

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman on the Skripal Poisoning Case

At the same time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has dubbed "insane" the allegations made by UK Prime Minister Theresa May against Russia over the Skripal poisoning case.

The UK is refusing to cooperate with Russia on the Skripal case, though this is stipulated by a relevant convention, Zakharova said, adding that Moscow has sent London four diplomatic notes to hold talks on the issue but has received only formal replies.

"I would like to inform you that several diplomatic notes have been sent to the Foreign Office via the Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom. They sought to launch an active dialogue with officials in London... We've received meaningless formal replies," Zakharova said, adding that a total of four notes had been sent.

Speaking further, Zakharova reiterated Moscow's call on London to provide access to the documents related to the "incident." The official noted that so far the UK has refused to provide any sufficient information on the issue, including samples of the nerve agent.

According to the official, the West seeks to link Skripal's poisoning to the issue of chemical weapons use in Syria.

"After all, what kind of logic was voiced yesterday and what logic is articulated by the so-called expert community? Damascus uses chemical weapons, Russia supports it. The final point in this is that Russia, Moscow, used chemicals in the United Kingdom ... This is one of the tracks of this campaign - to link all these elements and to finish the story about chemical weapons in Syria, no one conceals it," Zakharova told a briefing.

According to the spokeswoman, the recent developments are "a part of a well-thought-out plan."

Pressure on Russian Diplomats in the UK

The Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman said that the UK had been "pushing" Russian diplomats out of the country via visa mechanisms for several years.

Thus, Moscow has no doubt that London has launched an anti-Russian campaign, Zakharova said, adding that Britain's attitude showed that the "Russophobic hysteria had reached a new level."

"The head of a state with nuclear weapons groundlessly accuses another country of aggression... and puts forward an ultimatum with a 24-hour deadline... This is reminiscent of a talk show," the spokeswoman noted.

At the same time, Zakharova declined to respond on whether there was a chance to normalize ties with Britain.
UN Envoy Claims UK Not Obliged to Provide Nerve Agent Samples to Russia

The statement comes a day after UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats from the UK since the Cold War over the alleged "attack" on a former Russian intelligence officer, Sergei Skripal.

Commenting on the issue, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that it regarded the punitive measures as a gross provocation that undermined the foundations of normal interstate dialogue between the two countries and reiterated the denial of Moscow's involvement in the alleged poisoning.

US Reaction to the Skripal Case

The position of the US Envoy to the UN Nikky Haley, as well as the US State Department and the Trump administration, is simply supporting the "Russophobia" campaign by voicing support for May's position, Zakharova said.

She emphasized that if the US had access to the Skripal case materials, it should release them, while if it had no related documents, it was unacceptable to draw conclusions and support anyone's position.

According to her, Moscow believes that the West is trying to link the Skripal case with the situation around chemical weapons in Syria.

UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson on the Skripal Case

In a statement made on Thursday, the UK foreign secretary publicly stated that London had refused to send samples of the substance allegedly used to poison Skripal.

Separately, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also commented on the issue by saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly wanted to tell people thinking of defecting from Russia "you do that, you're going to die."

Johnson said he was "struck by the smug sarcasm with which the Russians were denying the attack," adding that it was "obvious," Russia had illegally hung on to stocks of Soviet chemical weapons.

At the same time, the top foreign policy official noted that the UK would not send samples of substance used to poison Skripal to Russia.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found slumped unconscious on a bench in Salisbury after being exposed to what British experts have identified as a Russian-made nerve agent.

Russian officials have rejected London's claims that Moscow was in any way involved in the incident. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stressed that Russia was ready to cooperate on the investigation but needed to have access to the case materials, including samples of the substance in question.

Source: Sputnik, Edited by website team