EU nations to take more action against Russia over spy

Several European Union countries said Friday they may follow Britain in expelling Russian diplomats, as EU chief Donald Tusk predicted member states would introduce more measures against Moscow for the poisoning of an ex-spy in England.

At a summit in Brussels, the 28 EU leaders agreed with Britain that it is “highly likely” Russia is responsible for the March 4 attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. They remain unconscious in critical condition after being exposed to a military-grade nerve agent.

The EU has recalled its ambassador from Moscow for consultations over an incident it called “a grave challenge to our shared security.”

European Council President Donald Tusk called the bloc’s response “unprecedented” and said “more steps are expected at a national level” starting Monday.

“I am especially pleased that despite tough Brexit negotiations, the EU has demonstrated unanimous and unequivocal unity with the U.K. in the face of this attack,” Tusk said at a news conference in Brussels.

He said it was too soon to say whether the bloc as a whole would take more action.

The strong solidarity from the EU — which Britain is due to leave next year — is a victory for Prime Minister Theresa May’s efforts to muster international condemnation of a chemical weapons attack on British soil.

Britain and Russia have expelled 23 of each other’s diplomats since the attack, which has sparked an east-west diplomatic crisis reminiscent of the Cold War. Britain says the expelled Russians, who left London earlier this week, were undeclared intelligence agents.

Several minibuses left the British embassy in Moscow on Friday, reportedly carrying the expelled U.K. diplomats.