May seeks EU backing against Russia
SPY ATTACK TRIGGERED DIPLOMATIC ROW BETWEEN LONDON, MOSCOW
British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday sought to unite EU leaders in condemnation of Moscow over the poisoning of a former Russian spy, but she faces resistance from states keen to protect their Kremlin ties.
May briefed her colleagues at a Brussels summit on the progress of the investigation into the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury using a deadly Soviet-developed nerve agent.
While the US, France and Germany have swung behind London, saying they accept the UK assessment that the Russian state is the only plausible culprit, other EU countries with close links to Moscow — notably Greece and Italy — want a softer line.
May reminded her fellow 27 leaders the threat from the east will continue long after Britain leaves the bloc next year.
“The challenge of Russia is one that will endure for years to come. As a European democracy the UK will stand shoulder to shoulder with the EU and with Nato to face these threats together. United we will succeed,” she is expected to tell them.
EU President Donald Tusk said on the eve of the summit that leaders will show “solidarity” with Britain after Salisbury and called the bloc to take practical steps to “reinforce our preparedness for future attacks”.
The poisoning has triggered a furious diplomatic row between London and Moscow, with titfor-tat expulsions of diplomats on both sides, while the Kremlin denies any responsibility and Russian state media have offered numerous alternative explanations.
US backing
There was renewed backing for Britain from the US as President Donald Trump pledged during a phone call with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday that he would “take action to hold Russia accountable” for the poisoning, without giving further details.
EU leaders were to issue a statement on the Salisbury attack yesterday, with a draft seen by AFP saying they will “coordinate on the consequences” for Russia but stopping short of blaming Moscow or mentioning sanctions.
Some countries are pushing to toughen up the statement to bring it in line with last week’s joint declaration by Britain, France Germany and the US pointing the finger at Russia.
“There is no plausible alternative explanation,” one EU diplomat said.
But a dissenting rump including Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Austria, keen to preserve their good relations with Moscow, has insisted on the watered-down version, which says only that the EU takes “extremely seriously” London’s view Moscow was to blame.