‘Crude, unseemly, unworthy’: furious Russia threatens retaliation after UK expels diplomats over spy poisoning
‘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’
Russia’s Foreign Ministry blasted Britain on Wednesday, complaining that it had chosen confrontation over cooperation in the case of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent who was poisoned in Britain with the nerve agent Novichok earlier this month.
In its statement the ministry described British Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to expel Russian diplomats from Britain, among other measures, as “an unprecedentedly crude provocation”.
It warned that the move “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,” it added.
The ministry did not announce retaliatory measures in its statement, but said “our response will not be long in coming.”
May said on Wednesday that the diplomats, who have been identified as undeclared intelligence officers, have a week to leave.