Spy poisoning: Allies back UK, blast Russia at UN
Nikki Haley says US stands in solidarity with Britain, Macron to announce ‘measures’ soon
UNITED NATIONS/RILLY-SUR-VIENNE: Russia has claimed at the UN security council that it never made or even researched novichok nerve agents , which the UK says were used in the Salisbury attack on a former Russia spy and his daughter.
However, the UK received overwhelming support from its allies on the council, including the US, amid heated debate on Wednesday night. Washington’s envoy Nikki Haley delivered the most unambiguous statement of support from the Trump administration so far.
In her statement on behalf of the US, Haley said: “Let me make one thing clear from the very beginning: the United States stands in absolute solidarity with Great Britain. The United States believes that Russia is responsible for the attack on two people in the United Kingdom using a military-grade nerve agent.”
Presenting the UK case to the UN security council on Wednesday, Britain’s deputy permanent representative Jonathan Allen said Russia was “in serious breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention through its failure to declare the novichok programme”.
“This fact alone means you should discount any arguments you hear about the possibility of other countries having inherited this technology,” he said.
“This was no common crime. It was an unlawful use of force, a violation of ... the United Nations charter, the basis of the international legal order,” Allen said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel stopped short of accusing Moscow but said it would be a “very serious matter” if it were found to be involved.
On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would announce unspecified “measures” in the coming days.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms this unacceptable attack,” Macron told reporters during a visit to central France.
“Everything leads us to believe that responsibility can be attributed to Russia, and the work of the British services, shared with France’s services, confirms it,” he added. “I will announce the measures that we are going to take in the coming days,” he said.
A British diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said London was “grateful for French solidarity at this time”.
On Wednesday, May expelled 23 Russian diplomats over the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.
Britain also suspended highlevel contacts, including for the football World Cup which Russia is due to host in June and July.