Russia to expel 23 British diplomats: foreign ministry

MOSCOW – Agence France Presse

Russia expelled 23 British diplomats on March 17 in a retaliatory move over British accusations that the Kremlin orchestrated a nerve toxin attack on a former Russian double agent and his daughter in southern England.

Escalating a crisis in relations, Russia said it was also shutting down the activities of the British Council, which
fosters cultural links between the two countries, and withdrawing agreement for Britain to operate a consulate-general
in St. Petersburg. 

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was giving the 23 British diplomats one week to leave the country.

The move followed Britain's decision on Thursday to expel 23 Russian diplomats over the attack in the English city of
Salisbury which left former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33, critically ill in hospital.
The ministry said Moscow's measures were a response to what it called Britain's "provocative actions and groundless
accusations". It had warned London it stood ready to take further measures in the event of more "unfriendly steps".

Relations between London and Moscow have crashed to a post-Cold War low over the attack, the first known offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since World War Two.

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador, Laurie Bristow, to a meeting on Saturday morning in
central Moscow at its Stalin-era headquarters during which he was informed of the measures.

Bristow told reporters afterwards that the crisis had arisen after "the attempted murder of two people using a chemical
weapon developed in Russia". Britain had only expelled the Russian diplomats after Moscow had failed to explain how the nerve toxin had got to Britain, he said.

"We will always do what is necessary to defend ourselves," the ambassador told reporters.