Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 15 March 2018

Britain boots 23 Russian diplomats over spy poisoning

By JILL LAWLESS sian money. "There does
DANICA KIRKA not seem to be any real
LONDON (AP) — Relations appetite so far to investi-
between Britain and Russia gate the ill-gotten gains of
plunged Wednesday to a the Russian elite that have
chilly level not seen since been laundered through
the Cold War as Prime Min- London," said John Lough,
ister Theresa May expelled an associate fellow in the
23 diplomats, severed high- Eurasia program at the
level contacts and vowed Chatham House think-tank.
both open and covert ac- "It is not clear to me that
tion against Kremlin med- London's response will hit
dling after the poisoning of the Kremlin where it hurts."
a former spy. Moscow has denied re-
Russia said it would respond sponsibility for Skripal's poi-
soon to what it called Brit- soning. It refused to comply
ain's "crude" and "hostile" with Britain's demand for an
actions. explanation, saying the U.K.
While May pledged to dis- must first provide samples
rupt Russian espionage of the poison collected by
and "hostile state activity," investigators.
she gave few details about A general view of the part of the Russian Embassy in Kensington, as pedestrian walk past London, Some in Russia have sug-
Wednesday, March 14, 2018. Britain announced Wednesday it will expel 23 Russian diplomats,
how hard Britain would hit the biggest such expulsion since the Cold War, and break off high-level contacts with the Kremlin gested that the nerve
Russian politicians and oli- over the nerve-agent attack on a former spy and his daughter in an English town. agent could have come
garchs where it really hurts (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) from another former Soviet
— in their wallets. country.
"Expelling diplomats is a kind cal condition in a hospital we have the evidence that It said Britain's "hostile mea- Lawmaker Vladimir
of a standard response," in Salisbury, southwestern they may be used to threat- sures" were "an unprec- Gutenev, a member of
said Natasha Kuhrt, a Rus- England, after being found en the life or property of edentedly crude provoca- Russia's state commission
sia expert at King's College unconscious March 4. U.K. nationals or residents," tion." for chemical disarmament,
London. "I'm not sure it's go- May said "there is no al- May said, promising to use Britain called an emergen- said Russia had scrapped
ing to make Moscow stand ternative conclusion other all legal powers against cy meeting of the U.N. Se- its stockpile of Novichok.
up and think." than that the Russian state criminals and corrupt elites, curity Council in New York "It is hard to say what may
May told the House of was culpable for the at- and to "increase checks on at which U.K. and Russian be happening in neighbor-
Commons that 23 Russians tempted murder of Mr. Skri- private flights, customs and diplomats traded accusa- ing countries," he was quot-
diplomats who have been pal and his daughter." freight." tions, with Britain blaming ed as saying by the Interfax
identified as undeclared She announced a range "There is no place for these the Russian state for the at- news agency.
intelligence officers have a of economic and diplo- people — or their money — tack and Russia vehement- Britain is seeking support
week to leave Britain. matic measures, including in our country," she said. ly denying responsibility. from allies in the Europe-
"This will be the single big- the suspension of high-level May said some of the mea- Some Russia experts said an Union and NATO in re-
gest expulsion for over 30 contacts with Russia. An in- sures "cannot be shared the measures announced sponse to the use of an il-
years," May said, adding vitation for Russian Foreign publicly for reasons of na- by May were unlikely to legal chemical weapon on
that it would "fundamen- Minister Sergey Lavrov to tional security." make Russian President British soil. May's office said
tally degrade Russian intelli- visit Britain has been can- The Russian Embassy in Vladimir Putin's govern- President Donald Trump
gence capability in the U.K. celed, and British ministers London said the expulsion ment change its behavior. told the prime minister the
for years to come." and royals won't attend the of diplomats was "totally She didn't expel Russia's U.S. was "with the U.K. all
May spoke after Moscow soccer World Cup in Russia unacceptable, unjustified ambassador or announce the way."
ignored a midnight dead- this summer. and shortsighted." Ambas- sanctions against any indi- But Britain faces an uphill
line to explain how the May also said Britain would sador Alexander Yakoven- viduals or companies. battle in rallying interna-
nerve agent Novichok, clamp down on murky Rus- ko called Britain's actions Critics of the British govern- tional backing for any new
developed by the Soviet sian money and strengthen were "a provocation." ment have long claimed measures against Moscow.
Union, was used against its powers to impose sanc- Russia did not immediately that the U.K. is reluctant to European Council Presi-
Sergei Skripal, an ex-Russian tions on abusers of human announce retaliatory mea- act against Russia because dent Donald Tusk said he
agent convicted of spying rights, though she gave few sures, but its Foreign Ministry London's property market would put the attack on
for Britain, and his daughter details. "We will freeze Rus- said "our response will not and financial sector are the agenda at an EU sum-
Yulia. They remain in criti- sian state assets wherever be long in coming." magnets for billions in Rus- mit meeting next week.q