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WORLD NEWS A9
Thursday 22 March 2018
Russia-UK war of words over ex-spy's poisoning gets uglier
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV In this image taken from video Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson gives evidence to the cal leadership of a nuclear
JILL LAWLESS, Associated House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in Portcullis House, London Wednesday March 21, power."
Press 2018. Johnson said Russia carried out a nerve-agent attack on British soil because the U.K. has She said on Facebook that
MOSCOW (AP) — The war "time and again called out Russia over its abuses" of human rights and democratic values. Johnson's comments re-
of words between Rus- flected London's efforts to
sia and Britain over an (PA via AP) cast Russia as an enemy
ex-spy's poisoning got ug- using the most absurd rea-
lier Wednesday as the U.K. prospect, frankly, to think of try's spokeswoman, Maria sionalism and boorishness," sons in order to boycott the
foreign secretary called it Putin glorying in this sport- Zakharova, said Johnson is adding that "it's scary to World Cup.
vomit-inducing that Rus- ing event." "poisoned with venom of remember that this per- "But at what price?" she
sian President Vladimir Pu- The Russian Foreign Minis- malice and hate, unprofes- son represents the politi- said. "At the price of provo-
tin is rejoicing over hosting cations, setting nations and
the World Cup. Russia shot people against one anoth-
back that Boris Johnson is er and undermining inter-
"poisoned with venom of national peace and stabil-
malice and hate." ity. Isn't the price too high?"
The heated exchange Zakharova noted that
came in the deepening Johnson's comments about
diplomatic crisis over the the 1936 Olympics and the
March 4 poisoning of Rus- World Cup s words were an
sian ex-spy Sergei Skripal "unacceptable and unwor-
and his daughter in the thy" parallel toward Russia,
English city of Salisbury. Brit- a "nation that lost millions of
ain maintains Russia used a lives in fighting Nazism."
military-grade nerve agent Vladimir Yermakov, deputy
known as Novichok in the head of the Russian Foreign
attack, which left the fa- Ministry's department for
ther and daughter in criti- non-proliferation, scoffed
cal condition. Moscow has at expressions of Western
fiercely denied involve- solidarity, saying they are
ment. meaningless in the ab-
Johnson on Wednesday sence of proof.q
repeated Britain's position
that responsibility for the Germany:
poisoning leads "back to
the Russian state and those Merkel seeks to heal divisions after migrant influx
at the top." He added that
the attack had prompt- By GEIR MOULSON she hopes that, at the end after four years in which She said Wednesday that
ed "a mountain of disgust BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor of her fourth term, "divisions Merkel's conservative Union Germany, which allowed in
globally," and that he had Angela Merkel acknowl- and polarization (will) have bloc and the center-left more than 1 million migrants
been pleasantly surprised edged that the migrant been reduced, perhaps Social Democrats had an in 2015 and 2016, can be
"at the strength of the soli- influx of 2015 led to deep even overcome." overwhelming majority, proud. But she added: "Of
darity that there is with the divisions in Germany and "I want to do everything so weakened the governing course, it's also the case
U.K." renewed a promise on that, at the end of this par- parties and saw the anti- that this was an exception-
Johnson agreed with a Wednesday that it won't be liamentary term, people will migration Alternative for al humanitarian situation.
Labour lawmaker who lik- repeated as she embarked say that 'in Berlin they have Germany, or AfD, enter And such an exceptional
ened the World Cup host- on her fourth term. learned something from parliament for the first time. situation should and must
ed by Russia this summer to Merkel was sworn in last the September 2017 elec- It is now the biggest opposi- not be repeated."
Adolf Hitler's use of the 1936 week at the head of a tion result,'" Merkel said. She tion party. Merkel acknowledged, as
Olympics for political pur- coalition of Germany's set out promises such as Merkel acknowledged that she has before, that Euro-
poses. biggest parties, nearly six achieving full employment the debate about migra- pean nations were "naive"
"I think the comparison with months after they lost sig- by 2025 and strengthening tion and integration has in the years before 2015
1936 is certainly right," he nificant support in an elec- the pension system. "divided and polarized our in failing to see migration
said. "I think it's an emetic tion. She told parliament The election, which came country to this day." pressure building up. q
