Did Russian agents in Britain try to knock off a former Russian spy and his daughter in a recent chemical attack? They survived, so it makes one wonder if the goal was to send a message rather than to kill them. No doubt Russian agents are quite capable of killing a target if they so intended.
Prime Minister Theresa May has issued an ultimatum to Russia giving the nation 24 hours to respond. She got a response from Mr. Putin, but certainly not the one she was looking for. The Express fills us in on the story.
Vladimir Putin’s envoys in the UK have refused to respond to Britain’s ultimatum over the chemical attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. In a statement on Twitter the Russian embassy threaten retaliation if Theresa May was to respond with “punitive measures”.
Theresa May earlier issued Russian President Vladimir Putin 24 hours to respond to claims that Russia was “highly likely” behind the attempted murder of Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
The ultimatum has sparked World War 3 fears as Whitehall sources revealed the Prime Minister could launch a cyber attack on Russia in the wake of recent events.
It is thought Britain might target Kremlin propaganda machines, with Whitehall sources suggesting the UK will up the ante on its offensive cyber programme.
Here’s the part of the Russian response that should give everyone chills.
In a further blunt warning to the Prime Minister, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added nobody should threaten a nuclear power, according to the nation’s the state-run RIA news agency.
And the Express shares the escalating rhetoric.
According to Whitehall sources Britain will consider implementing a version of the USA’s Magnitsky Act, which lists Russians involved in corruption and human rights abuses, and banning them from entering the UK.
Fresh sanctions against the Kremlin are likely too – as well as beefed up deployments elsewhere in Eastern Europe.
Mrs May might also deploy a specialist cyber unit in Britain in order to attack Kremlin computer networks and troll factories.
ZeroHedge reports on how this crisis is spreading to other countries.
Russia faces warning from Germany too, as Reuters reports Merkel and May spoke this morning about the nerve agent attack. Merkel condemned the attack and stated that she was “taking very seriously the British government’s view that Russia might be responsible.” Merkel then said Russia “needs to give prompt answers to the British’ justified questions.”
And, as ZeroHedge reports, Russia did provide “prompt answers” — just, once again, not the ones desired.
Russia faces warning from Germany too, as Reuters reports Merkel and May spoke this morning about the nerve agent attack. Merkel condemned the attack and stated that she was “taking very seriously the British government’s view that Russia might be responsible.” Merkel then said Russia “needs to give prompt answers to the British’ justified questions.”
But then, Interfax reports Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova turned up the heat dramatically, warning (or threatening):
“One does not give 24 hours notice to a nuclear power” adding that the “Skripal poisoning was not an incident but a colossal international provocation.”
She also slammed the British for “not using a single international legal mechanism to probe the Skripal case.”
Recall that a bit over 100 years ago an Archduke who most of those in the West never heard of was assassinated, and this crime plunged the world into what became knows as World War I.
Is there an “Archduke” floating around out there somewhere just waiting for his “bullet” to set off a worldwide conflagration? Tragically, the possibility cannot be dismissed.
Full Speech by May:
Update 3:
Some more soundbites out of Russia, via Reuters:
- RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS OPTED FOR FURTHER ESCALATION BY EXPELLING RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS
- RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS BRITISH PM STATEMENT IS A FLAGRANT PROVOCATION
- RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS CHOSEN CONFRONTATION WITH RUSSIA
* * *
Update 2:
The head of the Upper House of Parliament in Russia has called the expulsion of diplomats a “provocation”. He has promised Russia will react in a “fast, tough and reciprocal way”.
Separately, Angela Merkel said that the EU is united on Russia but must keep talking to Russia. The German chancellor said: “We take the findings of the British government very seriously … We will present a common European view here.
“Nonetheless, I say we can’t break off all contacts now. We must still talk with the Russians despite all differences of opinion.”
Julian Assange has also chimed in:
Theresa May is in a difficult position. If the Kremlin was knowingly behind the claimed nerve agent attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal then it is likely designed to provoke a UK response with Russian moves already gamed out. Only a highly creative response can avoid such a trap.
— Julian Assange ⌛ (@JulianAssange) March 14, 2018
Whilst expelling suspected intelligence agents is showy deterrent (such agents apply pressure towards their government to not engage in action that causes them to booted out) it also has high costs: Better the agent you know.
— Julian Assange ⌛ (@JulianAssange) March 14, 2018
Update:
As previewed earlier, Theresa May announced that Britain will expel 23 Russian diplomats who are “undeclared intelligence officers”, i.e., spies. The retaliation comes as part of a range of measures in response to the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal.
Speaking to parliament, Theresa May said the Russian state was culpable in the nerve agent attack in Salisbury on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia and is the reason for the expulsion of 23 diplomats: “All who been identified as undeclared intelligence officers. They have just one week to leave,” she said.
“This will be the single biggest expulsion for over 30 years and it will reflect the fact that this is not the first time the Russian state has acted against our country” she added.
https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/973904548635934721
Source: UK Express, ZeroHedge
Source: ZeroHedge
