Russia-UK war of words over poisoning gets uglier
Putin assailed for celebrating nation’s hosting of World Cup
MOSCOW — The war of words between Russia and Britain over an ex-spy’s poisoning got uglier Wednesday as the U.K. foreign secretary called it vomit-inducing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is rejoicing over hosting the World Cup. Russia shot back that Boris Johnson is “poisoned with venom of malice and hate.”
The heated exchange came in the deepening diplomatic crisis over the March 4 poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury. Britain maintains Russia used a military-grade nerve agent known as Novichok in the attack, which left the father and daughter in critical condition. Moscow has fiercely denied involvement.
Johnson on Wednesday repeated that responsibility for the poisoning leads “back to the Russian state and those at the top.” He added that the attack had prompted “a mountain of disgust globally” and that he had been pleasantly surprised “at the … solidarity that there is with the U.K.”
Johnson agreed with a Labour lawmaker who likened the World Cup hosted by Russia this summer to Adolf Hitler’s use of the 1936 Olympics for political purposes.
“I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right,” he said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswom- an, Maria Zakharova, said Johnson is “poi- soned with venom of malice and hate, unprofessionalism and boorishness,” adding that “it’s scary to remember that this person represents the political leadership of a nuclear power.”
She said on Facebook that Johnson’s comments reflected London’s efforts to cast Russia as an enemy using the most absurd reasons to boycott the World Cup.
“But at what price?” she asked. “At the price of provocations, setting nations and people against one another and undermining international peace and stability. Isn’t the price too high?”