UK trying to mislead intl. community over poisoning case: Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has criticized the UK for trying to “mislead” the international community over the poisoning of a former spy in Britain, saying London has staged a “political performance” in the case.

Lavrov on Wednesday criticized Britain for accusing Russia of involvement in the incident and described such claims as not robust.

“Without concrete facts, it is a flagrant attempt to mislead the international community, to which we will have to respond,” Lavrov said.

Last Wednesday, British authorities announced that former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, had been hospitalized since they had been found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping center in the city of Salisbury. They were reportedly being exposed to a nerve agent.

On Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May said it was “highly likely” that Moscow was behind the poisoning, giving the Kremlin until the end of Tuesday to answer the accusations. 

May further warned that otherwise London would consider the poisoning an attack directed by the Russian government.

Lavrov said that Russia would be ready to provide the UK with a response as to how the nerve agent could have appeared in Britain within 10 days if London submitted an official request, in line with the Chemical Weapons Convention.

“Instead of submitting such a request, Britain has continued to stage a political performance,” the top Russian diplomat added, noting Moscow found no progress made toward resolving the standoff over the case.

Meanwhile, May on Wednesday announced a set of punitive measures against Russia amid deteriorating relations between London and Moscow.

Speaking to parliament, May said that Britain had ordered the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats believed to be involved in espionage-related activities.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Britain's decision to expel Russian diplomats was crude and hostile.

The ministry said that May's statement was "an unprecedentedly crude provocation that undermines the foundations of a normal interstate dialogue between our countries."

"We consider it categorically unacceptable and unworthy that the British government, in its unseemly political aims, further seriously aggravated relations, announcing a whole set of hostile measures, including the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats from the country," the statement added.

The Russian embassy in London also said the expulsion of Russian diplomats was a hostile action and totally unacceptable, unjustified and short-sided.

It added that all the responsibility for the deterioration of the Russia-UK ties lies with the current political leadership of Britain.

SS