Moscow intends to lend “powerful pressure” to London on the case of the poisoning of ex-colonel GRU Sergei Skripal in Salisbury. This was announced by the Russian ambassador Alexander Yakovenko on the air of the TV channel “Russia 24”.
“We will exert tremendous pressure on the British government on the merits of the matter, I am confident that we will not release them from this rut,” he said.
Yakovenko also said that the authorities of the United Kingdom will have to bear responsibility for the severance of relations with Russia.
“This time the British will have to answer, including their public opinion, for the collapse of Russian-British relations, which ultimately speaks about the quality of the policy pursued in this country,” he said.
Yakovenko stressed that unfounded accusations against Russia would have rather negative consequences for the British side.
The diplomat also recalled a series of deaths of Russian citizens that took place in the UK recently.
According to Yakovenko, businessman Alexander Perepelichny passed away under mysterious circumstances, like the runaway oligarch Boris Berezovsky. Then Britain declared that he committed suicide.
“And this is after Berezovsky sent several letters to Russia with a request to allow him to return,” the ambassador said.
March 4 in Salisbury Sergey Skripal, convicted in Russia for espionage in favor of the intelligence services of Britain, and his daughter Julia were exposed to a nerve agent. At the moment they are in hospital in serious condition.
British Prime Minister Theresa May accused Russia of “illegal use of force” in the territory of the kingdom and announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats, as well as other measures against Moscow. The Russian leadership categorically rejected their involvement in the incident and announced the adoption of mirror measures in the near future.