EU turns on Russia
11 nations to back Britain and kick out Putin envoys
ELEVEN EU countries will support Britain and expel Russian diplomats following the Salisbury spy attack.
Intelligence agents and diplomatic officials will be kicked out next week after the assassination attempt, which French President Emmanuel Macron has branded an “attack on European sovereignty”.
The EU also recalled its ambassador to Russia, German Markus Ederer, in a move designed to demonstrate unity with the UK.
Member states preparing to oust diplomats include France, Germany, Poland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Denmark.
The Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov responded by accusing Britain of trying to make “the crisis with Russia as deep as possible”.
It came as British diplomats left Moscow yesterday after Russia retaliated to the kicking out of 23 of its own diplomats from Britain earlier this week.
A convoy of vehicles carrying 23 offi- cials were applauded by locals as they sped out of the embassy building. Leaders from across the Continent agreed it was “highly likely” the Kremlin was behind the Novichok attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, saying: “There is no plausible alternative explanation.” The decision to order Europe’s top diplomat back to Brussels for four weeks “for consultations” was agreed by EU leaders who spent four hours deciding a response, after Theresa May outlined why Britain believes Moscow is to blame. The council issued a statement saying: “We stand in unqualified solidarity with the United Kingdom in the face of this grave challenge to our shared security.” It added that members will “co-ordinate on the consequences to be drawn in the light of the answers provided by the Russian authorities”. Prime Minister Mrs May said afterwards: “The threat that Russia poses respects no borders and it is a threat to our values. It is right that, here in the EU Council, we are standing together to uphold those values.”