Poisoning of ex-spy linked to Russians, Britain says
LONDON — Russia is “highly likely” to blame for poisoning a former spy and his daughter with a military-grade nerve agent, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday, demanding that Moscow give a compelling explanation or face “extensive” retaliation.
May told lawmakers in a statement that without a credible response from Russia by the end of Tuesday, Britain would consider the attack “an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom.”
“There can be no question of business as usual with Russia,” she said, without elaborating.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed May’s allegations as a “circus show in the British Parliament.”
Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, remain in critical condition after being found unconscious March 4 in Salisbury. A police detective who came in contact with them is in serious condition.
May said British scientists have determined that they were poisoned with Novichok, a class of nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union near the end of the Cold War.
“Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country, or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others,” she said.
In Washington, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called use of the nerve agent “an outrage” but wasn’t ready to say Russia was responsible. But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the poisoning “clearly came from Russia” and “certainly will trigger a response.”