Russia Expels 23 UK Diplomats In Retaliatory Move

Mr Stropnicky was responding to claims made by Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

As the fallout from the poisoning unravels in the global arena, British police are continuing their investigation into the poisoning of Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday Russia will expel British diplomats in response to London’s decision to expel 23 staff at the Russian embassy in London.

“Our quarrel is with Putin’s Kremlin and with his decision – and we think it overwhelmingly likely that it was his decision – to direct the use of a nerve agent on the streets of the United Kingdom, on the streets of Europe, for the first time since World War II”, Johnson said in west London. Putin is overwhelmingly expected to win another term after 18 years in power, riding in part on his argument that he must stand up to Western aggressors.

She warned that Britain “will never tolerate a threat to the life of British citizens and others on British soil from the Russian government”.

On Thursday, the UK, US, Germany and France issued a joint statement insisting Russian Federation was responsible for the attack and that “there is no plausible alternative explanation”.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, remain in the hospital in critical condition.

He branded the British investigation “untransparent and secret”, adding that there was “no proof” that Skripal was gravely ill. The Kremlin says the accusation is “unforgivable”.

Early on Saturday, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it had ordered the British diplomats to leave within a week and indicated it could take further action should there be what it called more “unfriendly” moves. According to May, Britain is ready to take the most stringent measures.

“All the steps will be well thought out”, Peskov said.

Meanwhile, U.K. police have also opened a murder investigation in the death of another Russian exile living in Britain. Police said Glushkov died as a result of a “compression of the neck”, suggesting he may have been strangled. “We spent most of previous year investing a lot into attempts to work together, to solve problems, to address differences”.

Ms May said on Monday Britain had identified the substance used in the attack as belonging to the lethal Novichok group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet military in the 1970s and 1980s.

More: Who is Sergei Skripal?

She told MPs the National Security Council had agreed “immediate actions to dismantle the Russian espionage network in the UK”.

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, blamed Moscow for the attack at a U.N. Security Council emergency meeting Wednesday.

On March 7 police say that the father and daughter have been poisoned by a highly toxic nerve agent. The country’s closest allies have said they accept Britain’s conclusion and the likelihood of Russian involvement.

The prime minister’s office said Friday that Theresa May has asked the chemical weapons watchdog “to verify the government’s analysis of the nerve agent used in the Salisbury attack”.

“We call on Russian Federation to address all questions related to the attack in Salisbury”.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Stoltenberg said the incident was part of a “pattern of reckless behaviour” from Russian Federation, following allegations of cyber attacks and election meddling in recent years.

Speaking on Russia-24 television, Zakharova said Britain’s angry reaction is connected to the war in Syria.