Britain, Russia lock horns

> Moscow warns citizens of ‘objects placed in luggage’

MOSCOW: Moscow has told Britain it must cut just over 50 more of its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia as a standoff deepened over the poisoning of a Russian former spy and his daughter in England, the Russian foreign ministry said on Saturday.

Moscow also demanded an official explanation for the search of a Russian passenger plane at London’s Heathrow Airport, saying it reserved the right to act similarly against British airlines in Russia. Britain said the search was routine. Russia advised its citizens to think carefully before travelling to Britain, warning they could fall victim to official harassment.

More than 100 Russian diplomats have been expelled by Western countries, including 23 from Britain, to punish the Kremlin over the March 4 attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the historic English city of Salisbury.

London says Moscow was responsible for the first known use of a military-grade nerve agent on European soil since World War II, and Britain’s defence minister on Saturday said it was “heartening” to see the backing of international allies.

“The world’s patience with Putin’s repeated pattern of malign behaviour has worn thin,” Gavin Williamson wrote in a newspaper column, urging that Britain’s defence capabilities needed to keep better step with Russia’s broadening tactics.

Russia denies responsibility for the attack. It has cast the allegations as a Western plot to sabotage East-West relations and isolate Moscow.

Russia had already retaliated in kind by ejecting 23 British diplomats.

On Friday, the foreign ministry summoned British ambassador Laurie Bristow and told him London had one month to further cut its diplomatic contingent in Russia to the same size as the Russian mission in Britain.

It also expelled 59 diplomats from 23 other countries for backing Britain.

Russian foreign ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday the demand meant Britain would have to cut “a little over 50” more of its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia on top of the 23 diplomats who have already gone home.

“We asked for parity. The Brits have 50 diplomats more than the Russians.”

The ministry later published a list of 14 questions its London embassy had sent Britain’s Foreign Office.

It included queries about why Russia had been denied consular access to the Skripals and about France’s role in the case.

The Russian embassy also advised Russians to think twice before travelling to Britain, warning of rising anti-Russian sentiment and possible harassment from the authorities, including the risk of objects being planted in their luggage.

“We can’t rule out increased attention by British law enforcement agencies and intelligence services to Russian passport holders,” it said in a statement. – Reuters