Russia says UK ‘playing with fire’ in spy case

UNITED NATIONS — The international furor over the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter intensified, with Russia warning the United Kingdom that it was “playing with fire”.

At a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia claimed that Russia was the victim of a hasty, sloppy and ill-intentioned defamation campaign by London and its allies.

The UK has blamed Russia for the March 4 poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. In response, more than two dozen Western allies including the UK, the US and NATO have ordered out over 150 Russian diplomats in a show of solidarity.

Moscow has fiercely denied its involvement in the nerve agent attack and expelled an equal number of envoys. The diplomatic turmoil has hit lows unseen even at the height of the Cold War.

Moscow assumes “with a high degree of probability” that the intelligence services of other countries are likely responsible for the incident, Nebenzia said at the UN.

“Everything confirms this is a coordinated, very wellplanned campaign” intended “to discredit and even delegitimize Russia”, he added.

The UK’s UN Ambassador Karen Piece claimed that Moscow has come up with 24 theories on who bears responsibility for the poisoning, but London has only one — that it’s highly likely Russia was responsible.

Nebenzia refused to name the intelligence services that Russia suspects, but said their goal is to accuse Moscow of using “a horrible, inhumane weapon, of concealing the arsenal of this substance”, of violating the Chemical Weapons Con- vention, and putting in question Russia’s “role not only in finding a solution in Syria, but anywhere else”.

He warned: “We have told our British colleagues that you are playing with fire and you will be sorry.”

Pierce said Russia’s 24 theories for the attack include blaming it on terrorists and saying Britain wanted to distract from Brexit, its departure from the European Union.

Everything confirms this is a coordinated, very well-planned campaign ... to discredit and even delegitimize Russia.” Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s UN ambassador

Earlier on Thursday, Skripal’s daughter, Yulia, said in a statement released by British police that her “strength is growing daily” and she expressed gratitude to those who came to her aid when she and her father, Sergei, were found unconscious on a bench a month ago.

“I am sure you appreciate that the entire episode is somewhat disorientating, and I hope that you’ll respect my privacy and that of my family during the period of my convalescence,” she said.

The hospital in the English city of Salisbury confirmed that Yulia’s health has improved, while her 66-yearold father remains in critical condition.