Collective strength

Whatever the balance of motives in the attempted murder of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal – and these may never be precisely ascertained – one consideration is likely to have been key. This is the weakness of the UK, which decided against a strong response to the fatal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, is planning its exit from the European Union and is trying to manage a transatlantic relationship that looks less special than ever.

Yet more than 20 Western allies are ejecting over 100 diplomats believed to be spies, in what the British prime minister called the biggest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officials in history.

These measures are in large part symbolic. Though they will likely damage Russian intelligence-gathering, they do not cover those who are spying without diplomatic cover. Some of the countries involved are expelling a single official. Only half of the EU’s members are acting.

Nonetheless, the breadth of this response is much greater than might have been anticipated. Moscow has sought to fracture the West and undermine multilateralism. The collective message both indicates anger at Russian actions targeting the countries in recent years – such as cyberattacks – and puts down a marker. In a world of imperfect options, this week’s measures have sent an important message.