Kremlin outrage Putin over plot to
TENSION between Britain and Russia increased further last night after Boris Johnson directly blamed Vladimir Putin for the Salisbury nerve agent attack.
The Foreign Secretary’s comments came as the Russian Embassy in London confirmed 23 diplomats set to be expelled by Britain will be gone by Tuesday.
Russia was expected to announce a tit-for-tat expulsion of British diplomats.
Mr Johnson said Moscow had wanted to assassinate Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
On a visit to the Battle Of Britain Bunker museum in Uxbridge with Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz, he said that the Russian president was almost certainly “personally responsible” for the attack which put dozens of other people at risk.
Scathing
Mr Johnson said: “Our quarrel is with Putin’s Kremlin and with his decision. We think it overwhelmingly likely that it was his decision to direct the use of a nerve agent on the streets of the UK, on the streets of Europe, for the first time since the Second World War. That is why we are at odds with Russia.”
Within minutes Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov hit back, branding the remark “nothing but shocking and unforgiveable behaviour”.
He claimed: “Russia has nothing to do with this story.”
Moscow also attacked Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, accusing him of talking like a “market wench” and suffering “intellectual impotency” while preparing for war with Russia.
And Russian defence ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said the Defence Secretary was a “disgrace” to Britain, claiming he was acting as if he was still going through puberty.
“The market wench talk that British defence secretary Gavin Williamson resorted to reflects his extreme intellectual impotency,” said Mr Konashenkov.
He said Russia had “long become immune to London accusing us of all sins. As for the boorish remarks by the British Defence Secretary on Russia, they seem to be the only thing that Her Majesty’s armed forces have in ample supply”.
He claimed that Britain had long ago turned into “a comfortable nest” for defectors.
Meanwhile, Putin ally Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the upper house’s international relations committee in Russia, claimed Britain was preparing for war against his country. He said it was making “wholesale accusations against Russia” before the Skripal inquiry was complete.
He said: “Massive aggression has been organised against Russia with the use of tools of informational, political and economic force. And with the preparation of public opinion for the possibility of the use of military force.”
Britain was unwilling to send samples and other evidence to Russia, he complained.
Mr Kosachev said the Soviet breakup had led to “arsenals of mass destruction weapons” going missing and could “float in unexpected places”. But the West had already decided Russia was “the one to blame”.
Last night European Council President Donald Tusk renewed his support for the Prime Minister, pledging to put the issue on the agenda for next week’s EU summit.