UK AND EU CLOSE RANKS IN RUSSIAN POISON CASE
▶ Allies signal solidarity with PM May ahead of Moscow response
British Prime Minister Theresa May was scrambling to garner international support for a robust response to Russia yesterday as the deadline neared for it to explain its role in the poisoning of a double agent.
But efforts to get the United States onside stumbled as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was sacked just hours after issuing a strong statement in support of UK efforts. President Donald Trump was due to speak to Mrs May yesterday, but he was less robust in his support than Mr Tillerson. “As soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be,” he said.
Mathieu Boulegue, a research fellow on the Russian and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, said: “The deadline meant Russia dodged a bullet until Wednesday when it is supposed to come up with a response. It also gives respite to the UK to garner support for a robust response.”
Without Russian co-operation, the pressure is back on the UK government to produce hard evidence of Kremlin involvement in the March 4 attack on former Russian military intelligence colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed the alliance’s support. “The use of any nerve agent is horrendous and completely unacceptable. The UK is a highly valued ally, and this incident is of great concern to Nato. Nato is in touch with the UK authorities on this issue,” he said.
But, with Mrs May not due to announce concrete measures until today, there was little in the way of material support.
She did however, find backing from European and EU states, despite strained relations over Brexit. In a phone call to French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, the two leaders “agreed that the French and British governments should co-ordinate closely as the investigation developed and following Russia’s response”.
In Germany, Norbert Rottgen, chair of the foreign affairs committee, said: “The discovery of a Russian military substance means that Russia cannot refuse co-operation in the clearing up of this matter. If Russia does not co-operate, there must be a joint western response.”
But Mr Boulegue said the question remained whether or political divides would be overcome. “France and Germany are the strongest supporters for a harsh response against the UK concerning Brexit, but would also be the strongest proponents for further sanctions against Russia,” he said.
“It’s a question of whether it will it go beyond simple politics and garner greater unity, or will things just fall back on the default political fault lines.”
There were some signs Brexit lines may be overcome, as European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said: “It is of the utmost importance that those who are responsible for what has happened see very clearly that there is European solidarity, unequivocal, unwavering and very strong.”
European states expressed backing for a unified response but Brexit political fault lines remain an unknown point