Theresa May has just told the House of Commons that there is ‘no alternative conclusion’ other than that Russia was responsible for the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal. She said that Moscow’s response to the UK’s request for an explanation of what had happened in Salisbury had demonstrated ‘complete disdain’.
In response to the incident, the government will expel 23 Russian diplomats who it believes to be spies. The UK will also break off all high-level contact with Russia – so there’ll be no British dignitaries at the World Cup this summer – and pass its own Magnitsky act.
This UK response is not small. But it is clearly designed so that the government can respond to whatever Russia does next. I suspect that if the Russian respond by expelling 23 British diplomats, the Russian ambassador may well be kicked out—for instance.
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