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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 3 april 2018

Russian FM: Ex-spy's poisoning

is a distraction from Brexit

ticipation. experts are allowed to take tion now is worse than it
British authorities invited part in the process. was during the Cold War
OPCW experts to take Lavrov also assailed the Brit- because some rules ex-
chemical samples from ish authorities for stonewall- isted and decorum was
Salisbury, the English city ing Russia's request for con- observed back then," he
where the father and sular access to Yulia Skripal, said. "Now, Britain, the
daughter were sickened, 33, a Russian citizen whose U.S. and a few countries
and to analyze them. Shul- condition has improved blindly following them have
gin warned that Moscow since she and her father fell dropped all decorum and
won't accept the agency's critically ill on March 4. engaged in blatant lies
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks to the media conclusions unless Russian "Many say that the situa- and disinformation."q
during a joint news conference after the talks with his Bangla-
desh counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali in Moscow, Russia,
Monday, April 2, 2018.
Associated Press

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV British intelligence agencies
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's could have been involved
foreign minister accused and the case helped dis-
Britain and the United tract public attention from
States of spreading "lies the British government's dif-
and disinformation" about ficult talks to exit the Euro-
the poisoning of a Russian pean Union, Lavrov said.
ex-spy in England, declar- "There are other explana-
ing Monday that East-West tions besides those put for-
tensions are worse now ward by our Western col-
than during the Cold War. leagues, who declare that
Britain has blamed Russia it can only be the Russians
for the March 4 nerve agent who are responsible," Lav-
attack on former double rov said. "It could also be
agent Sergei Skripal and his advantageous to the British
daughter, Yulia. Britain and government, who clearly
two dozen of its allies have find themselves in a difficult
expelled over 150 Russian situation having failed to
diplomats. Moscow, which fulfill their promises to voters
vehemently denies any in- over Brexit."
volvement, has responded British officials have previ-
tit-for-tat. ously rejected similar Rus-
Russian Foreign Minister Ser- sian allegations.
gey Lavrov denounced the Lavrov said that Russia has
British accusations on Mon- called a meeting of the
day as a "mad and horrible international chemical
provocation." He argued weapons watchdog for
that Russia had no motive Wednesday to discuss the
to attack Skripal, who was case and asked it to pro-
released in 2010 spy swap vide details of its coopera-
from a Russian prison where tion with Britain in the poi-
he was serving time for spy- soning probe.
ing for Britain. Alexander Shulgin, the
"If there were any gripes Russian representative at
against the man, he the Organization for the
wouldn't have been Prohibition of Chemical
swapped," Lavrov said. Weapons, said Monday in
Russia's top diplomat also televised remarks that the
mocked Britain's claim that organization must conduct
there was no plausible alter- an "open, thorough and
native explanation for the unbiased investigation"
poisonings of the Skripals. with Russian experts' par-