US, UK leaders agree on measures to prevent future chemical attacks
(VOVWORLD) - US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May talked by telephone about their decision to expel Russian diplomats over a chemical attack on a former Russian spy living in the UK, the White House reported on Wednesday.
 US President Donald Trump (Photo: VNA) |
In a statement, the White House said the two leaders agreed on the importance of measures to prevent future chemical attacks by Moscow.
On Wednesday, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Russia had underestimated the international reaction to the poisoning, for which Moscow had to take responsibility.
Alexander Lukashevich, Russian envoy to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said the expulsion of more than 150 Russian diplomats creates the dangerous precedent of a collective punishment of a nation whose guilt hasn’t been proven. He called the UK's accusation a large-scale provocation. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti news agency that Russia is in no rush to retaliate to the wave of expulsions of Russian diplomats, adding that all options are on the table.
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called on London to cooperate with the Russian agency investigating the incident.
19 out of 28 EU countries have expelled Russian diplomats, and 3 other countries have summoned their ambassadors from Russia for consultation.