Contents tagged with Sergei Skripal

  • Kyiv bans entry to 23 Russians expelled from UK

    The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has placed an entry ban on the 23 Russians who were expelled from the UK in connection with the poisoning of former intelligence agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, as announced in statement of the SBU’s website.

     “SBU head Vasyl Hrytsak said that their activity is a brazen mockery of one of the key functions of the diplomatic representation determined by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 – to promote friendly relations between …

  • German MPs: Expulsion of Russian diplomats from EU was done in a rush

    Representatives of the German Bundestag’s Left have criticized the decision made by Berlin and various other EU states to expel their Russian diplomats in connection with the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in the UK. On Monday March 26, Foreign Policy Committee member Stefan Liebich from The Left party said that the expulsion of diplomats was “a wrong step, which needlessly exacerbates the escalation”.

    Berlin should make a greater effort to collaborate in the investigation, Liebich …

  • Iceland announces diplomatic boycott of 2018 World Cup in Russia

    Iceland has declared a diplomatic boycott against the World Cup, which will take place in Russia in summer 2018.

    A statement on the boycott was released by the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

    "Iceland stands in solidarity with UK over the Salisbury attack, [and is] taking diplomatic measures against Russia. High-level bilateral dialogue with Russia [has been] postponed, resulting in Icelandic leaders not attending the FIFA World Cup. We urge Russia to cooperate with the …

  • Austria refuses to expel Russian diplomats because of the Skripal case

    Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz stated that Austria would not expel its Russian diplomats over the Skripal poisoning incident in Britain.

    Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Julia were poisoned nearly to death near London with a Soviet-era-made nerve agent known as Novichok. The British government highly suspects that Russia was responsible for this attempted assassination on British soil.

    Chancellor Kurz made his country’s position clear with a post on Twitter. "We support …

  • Ukraine expels Russian diplomats because of Skripal case

    Ukraine will join other countries and expel Russian diplomats, stated the Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko.

    "In response to a cynical chemical attack in Salisbury, Great Britain, Ukraine, in accordance with a spirit of solidarity with our British partners and transatlantic allies, and in coordination with the EU countries, decided to expel 13 Russian diplomats from Ukraine out of those few still remaining. As you know, our diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation are de facto …

  • Russian Ministry of Defense claims Novichok poison that killed Skripal could have been produced in US

    Russia has documents indicating that Novichok gas was being developed in the United States, said Igor Rybalchenko, head of the laboratory for chemical and analytical control at the Russian Ministry of Defense,   during a broadcast on the Russia-1 television channel, RIA Novosti has reports.

    According to Rybalchenko, Russian specialists found informational records regarding an organophosphorus substance with a "strong lethal effect" dating back to 1998 in the Spectral Library of the US National …

  • Russia accuses Britain of developing chemical weapons

    The Russian Embassy in London has released a statement alleging that the head of a the laboratory of the British Ministry of Defense  in Porton Down “confirmed the development of poisonous substances”, including the one that was used to poison Sergei Skripal, Russia’s Interfax news agency reports .

    According to a Russian Embassy spokesperson, ​​the statements by Gary Aitkenhead, the Chief Executive of the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory in Porton Down who spoke about the laboratory’s …

  • Estonia considers expelling Russian diplomats because of 'Skripal case'

    The Prime Minister of Estonia, Jüri Ratas, canceled his trip to Russia as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Estonia’s independence. According to the Estonian Foreign Ministry,the decision was made after negotiations in Brussels, RBC news agency reports.

    “I decided not to visit Russia in May where I planned participate in activities devoted to the 100th anniversary of Estonia,” the press service of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign affairs quoted the Minister as saying. …

  • NATO calls on Russia to answer all questions in Skripal case

    Russia must respond to all the United Kingdom’s questions regarding the incident of the poisoning of former GRU (Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate) colonel Sergei Skripal in the British town of Salisbury, as stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after discussions with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš.

    In particular, he urged Russia to disclose the details of its chemical program since the Soviet Union era.

    "We call on Russia to answer all the questions …

  • German experts: Nearly all Putin’s weapons still on drawing board

    Germany’s Federal Academy for Security Policy has analyzed the capabilities of the Russian army.

    According to Deutche Welle, following the poisoning of former GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal in the UK, Germany has begun talking about “the threat of a real war, not a cold war”.

    Out of all the new strategic weapons showcased by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Berlin believes that the RS-28 Sarmat inter-continental ballistic missile is the only item which really exists at present. The missile can …