‘Provocation’ by Russia will slow its return to G7 table
BORIS JOHNSON said Russia’s “provocations” including the use of chemical weapons in Salisbury would hinder its reintegration into the G7.
“I am aware of the moves to reintegrate Russia into the G7,” Mr Johnson told a press briefing at the Chancellery in Berlin.
He added: “I just have to say that given what happened in Salisbury in Wiltshire, given the use of chemical weapons on British soil, given the continuing instability, civil war, the war in Ukraine, given Russia’s provocations, not just in Ukraine but in many other places, I must say I am very much with Chancellor Merkel in thinking that the case has yet to be made out for Russia to return to the G7.”
While Mr Johnson was foreign secretary in March last year, relations between Russia and the UK collapsed after Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found in a critical condition on a park bench in the town of Salisbury.
It was determined that the two were poisoned with a Soviet-designed nerve
‘Given what happened in Salisbury … the case has yet to be made out for Russia to return to the G7’
agent, known as Novichok, in an attack blamed on the Russian government.
Despite Russia refusing to accept responsibility, Mr Johnson led the way in getting nations around the world to support him in expelling Russian diplomats from their countries, something he regularly cited during his Tory leadership bid.
After it was revealed in September by this newspaper that one of the trained assassins wanted for the poisoning was a decorated colonel in Russian military intelligence, Mr Johnson lambasted the outcome and said it was “utterly predictable news that GRU was behind the Skripal atrocity”.
“What have you got to say, Putin? And I hope we hear real condemnation from Corbyn,” he said.
Speaking last night by Mr Johnson’s side, Ms Merkel added: “As the situation is today, I would say there is not yet sufficient progress for saying the reasons we had in 2014 are obsolete.”