US slaps sanctions on Russia as Western leaders stand with UK
Trump, Macron and Merkel unified in attack on Moscow with White House focus also on election meddling
DONALD TRUMP yesterday hit Russia with new sanctions for election meddling and cyber-strikes as Washington vowed to punish Moscow’s “nefarious attacks”.
Nineteen people and five Russian organisations were targeted in what amounted to the most significant action against Moscow since the US president took office.
The news came shortly after Western leaders backed Britain in blaming Russia for the nerve agent attack in Salisbury 10 days ago.
Mr Trump, with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, rallied round Theresa May, directly blaming Russia for the attack which left double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in critical conditions in hospital.
Their joint statement represented a major boost for the Prime Minister and came 24 hours after she moved to expel 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contact with Moscow in response to the Salisbury incident.
Under the new Washington sanctions, Russia’s spying agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the KGB, was among those targeted. The action punished Russian behaviour that pre-dated the Salisbury attack but Steven Mnuchin, the US treasury secretary, said it was part of a “broader effort” to address the country’s “nefarious attacks”.
The sanctions against Russia will block those affected from travelling to the US, freeze any assets they have in the country, and stop US companies from working with them. Russia’s military intelligence organisation, the Main Intelligence Directorate, was also sanctioned. Many of the individuals targeted allegedly worked for the Internet Research Agency, the “troll factory” which America believes targeted the 2016 election campaign.
Meanwhile, more than 40 US congressmen signed a letter, seen by The Daily Telegraph, to Mrs May pledging “full support” in taking on Vladimir Putin over the attack.
In the joint message from Mr Macron, Mrs Merkel and Mr Trump, the leaders said they agreed with Mrs May’s assessment that there was “no plausible alternative explanation” for the attack.
The statement, issued by No10, said: “The United Kingdom briefed thoroughly its allies that it was highly likely that Russia was responsible for the attack. We share the UK assessment that there is no plausible alternative explanation, and note that Russia’s failure to address the legitimate request by the UK government further underlines its responsibility.
“We call on Russia to address all questions related to the attack in Salisbury. This use of a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, constitutes the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War.
“It is an assault on UK sovereignty and any such use by a state party is a clear violation of the Chemical Weap-
‘It is an assault on UK sovereignty and ... a breach of law. It threatens the security of us all’
ons Convention and a breach of international law. It threatens the security of us all.”
In Brussels, Nato member states were briefed by Sir Mark Sedwill, the UK national security adviser, at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council. That came after Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Nato secretary general, said the international response must be collective. He told the BBC: “Anything short of full solidarity with the UK now will be considered a victory for the Kremlin.”
In an attempt to shore up support, Boris Johnson launched a charm offensive in an op-ed article for a leading French newspaper, La Parisien, saying “all responsible countries must adopt a principled position”.
Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, added to the pressure, saying: “It is absolutely atrocious and outrageous what Russia did in Salisbury. We have responded to that. Frankly, Russia should go away and should shut up.”
Mrs May yesterday visited Salisbury for the first time since the attack, meeting members of the emergency services. She said: “We do hold Russia culpable for this brazen and despicable act that has taken place on the streets of what is such a remarkable city.”
Gareth Southgate, the England football manager, also told his players they can pull out of the World Cup in Russia if they fear it is not safe.
Russia, which has repeatedly denied it is responsible for the attack, was last night preparing its response in the rapidly escalating diplomatic row.
In Moscow, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, warned British diplomats would be expelled “soon” in retaliation for the biggest expulsion of Russian diplomats since the Cold War.
The Russian embassy in London claimed it had received death threats after Mrs May’s announcement. Alexander Yakovenko, its ambassador, told the Russian news channel Rossiya-24 the embassy had received “a mass of messages”, including some from Britons vowing to take revenge.
The Prime Minister has shown what she is capable of when it comes to diplomacy. The statement of France, Germany, the US and the UK calling on Russia to “address all questions related to the attack in Salisbury” was unequivocal and vital. Britain is not big enough to take on the Russian bear alone, and while increased defence spending would help, so does the determined application of soft power. Britain – a democracy that respects international law – has been done a great wrong. It is time to rally our allies.
The timing is propitious in the case of America. So long as Donald Trump felt himself to be mired in allegations of collusion with Vladimir Putin during the 2016 election, he was inclined to double-down on his reset of Russian relations, although this was itself belied by events. Russian and American soldiers recently clashed in Syria, and Mr Putin announced that he had developed nuclear weapons capable of clearing US defences (the Russian public was invited to enter a contest to name them). Now that congressional Republicans claim to have cleared the President, the White House has slapped its own sanctions on Moscow for election meddling and Theresa May has a chance to put the special relationship into effect.
In Europe, too, there has been an apparent stiffening of French resolve. Emmanuel Macron favours engagement with Russia and has a visit to Moscow booked for May, which would be fine under normal circumstances. Salisbury, however, teaches the Europeans to keep Brexit in perspective: Britain might disagree with the EU but the continent’s security needs remain unchanged, and Russia is a proximate threat. As the Prime Minister said, the Salisbury attack “could have happened anywhere”. Moscow cannot be appeased into behaving itself.
Russia is now a corrupt oligarchy. While it issues denials and trolls its critics online, the UK Government has clearly persuaded its own allies that the trail leads back to Moscow. Perhaps Mr Putin ordered this attack? Perhaps he either failed to prevent it or chose not to try? Whatever the motivations, Salisbury goes hand-in-hand with the intimidation of rivals, election interference, cyber attacks and the Ukraine war. Against such a threat, Britain is not playing victim, but is the leader of a determined resistance – a serious power with good friends.