US President Donald Trump says America is ‘with UK all the way’ in poisoning showdown with Russia
DONALD Trump has announced he is “with the UK all the way” after a row over Russian involvement in the nerve agent attack on an ex-spy in Salisbury escalates.
The US President made the vow in a call to Prime Minister Theresa May after she revealed it was “highly likely” Moscow was to blame for the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
Mrs May's midnight deadline to the Russian government to explain why a nerve agent of Russian origin was used in the poisoning has now passed.
Yesterday, Downing Street said: “The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump earlier this afternoon to update him on the ongoing investigation into the Salisbury incident.
“The Prime Minister set out the conclusion reached by the UK Government that it was highly likely that Russia was responsible for the attack against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.
“President Trump said the US was with the UK all the way, agreeing that the Russian Government must provide unambiguous answers as to how this nerve agent came to be used.”
What we know so far:
- Ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury on March 4
- Theresa May accused Russia of poisoning Skripal using deadly nerve agent Novichok and has vowed revenge
- She gave Russians until midnight on Tuesday to give us an explanation for what happened - which has now passed
- Putin laughed off suggestions Russia was involved, as other officials accused Britain of running a circus show and acting like Hitler
- Amber Rudd said police and MI5 would reopen investigations into other suspicious deaths in the UK
- The British ambassador in Moscow has been 'summoned to the Kremlin' over the case
- Russia has demanded access to the nerve agent gas used in Salisbury before responding to the PM's ultimatum
- Cops cordoned off Skripal's house and the grave of his wife and son fearing others could be exposed to the poison
- 500 people were told to wash their clothes, phones, and glasses after possibly coming into contact with the nerve agent
The French Foreign Minister Le Drian also offered France’s total solidarity, noting that President Macron had promised to stand by the UK as it prepares to take concrete measures against Russia’s breach of international order.
And NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, the Foreign Secretary reiterated the importance of the alliance standing together to counter the threat Russia poses.
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Meanwhile Russia's Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman has warned Britain against putting ultimatums to Russia, reminding the UK about its nuclear arsenal.
Maria Zakharova said in televised remarks Tuesday that "no one can come to parliament and say: ‘I give Russia 24 hours,'" in a reference to May giving Russia a deadline.
Moscow has denied involvement and said it won't respond to a British ultimatum unless it gets samples of the nerve agent in line with rules of the international chemical weapons watchdog.
Ms Zakharova said Britain mustn't try to scare Russia and pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent speech in which he presented a range of new nuclear weapons.
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