Boris says Russia is a ‘disruptive force’ behind ‘litany of crimes’
BRITISH foreign secretary Boris Johnson yesterday upped the ante over the alleged attack on a Russian spy living in England, describing Russia as a ‘malign and disruptive force’.
Referring to the incident in Salisbury, he said: ‘We do not know exactly what has taken place, but if it is as bad as it looks, it is another crime in the litany of crimes that we can lay at Russia’s door.’ And as Scotland Yard launched an international manhunt to find their attacker:
Civil servants openly discussed the attack as ‘Litvinenko Two’, referring to the former KGB spy who was killed in London in 2006;
Scientists at the Porton Down chemical weapons laboratory near Salisbury were trying to identify the suspected fast-acting poison;
Police said two officers and another member of the emergency services who helped Sergei and Julia Skripal were admitted to hospital after complaining of ‘itchy eyes’ and difficulty breathing;
An eyewitness to the former spy’s lunch with his daughter at a Zizzi restaurant said he was ‘shouting and swearing’;
Emergency workers in decontamination suits were seen at an ambulance station at Amesbury, around 11km from Salisbury. Tension with Britain: President Vladimir Putin
Mr Johnson made his remarks when responding to a question in the British parliament yesterday. Salisbury MP and treasury minister John Glen said those responsible for ordering the attack had to be ‘held to account’.
One reaction being considered is a boycott by UK officials of the World Cup in Russia this summer. Mr Johnson yesterday said that if the Kremlin was implicated, ‘it would be very difficult to imagine’ officials, dignitaries and ministers going to Russia.
Prince William, who is president of the FA, and his brother Harry have flown out to support England at previous tournaments.
UK prime minister Theresa May was yesterday briefed on the investigation by the chiefs of MI5 and MI6 at a meeting of the National Security Council. A Whitehall source said: ‘The initial assessment is that this looks like “Litvinenko Two”. It is being treated very, very seriously as a political attack because of the other people affected by it.
‘If Putin is behind this then Britain needs to be robust and react; if that means royals boycotting the World Cup, then so be it.’
The source added: ‘Discussions have taken place about the security of British civilians going to Russia.’ One option discussed by officials was the prospect of warning fans not to travel to the country. Scotland Yard’s counterterrorism command suspect that Mr Skripal was ambushed by an unknown assassin.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesman accused Mr Johnson of prejudging the issue, saying: ‘The script of yet another anti-Russian campaign has been written.’