Responding to the expulsion, Russia to take measures against countries expelling their envoys

Moscow, March 27: Responding to the expulsion of Russian diplomats and closure of Russia’s Consulate general in Seattle, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told media on Monday that there will be a response to everything and appropriate measures will be taken on each country, both regarding the expulsion of diplomats and the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Seattle.

 

The pretext for the expulsion was the poisoning of former Russian military intelligence Colonel Sergei Skripal convicted in Russia of spying for the UK and his daughter Yulia in Britain. According to Britain’s version, they were exposed to a nerve agent in the city of Salisbury. Later on, London claimed that this substance had been developed in Russia accusing Moscow of involvement in the incident. Russia has flatly rejected these allegations pointing out that neither the Soviet Union nor Russia had any programs to develop this substance.

Noting that the US and the UK are standing behind the provocation in Salisbury, Maria Zakharova said Russia had braced itself in advance for the British allies' actions.

She noted the Russian Foreign Ministry's preparedness for this turn of events. "Were it not these figures today, one could continue guessing about the causes of this devilish performance staged by the UK or about the real beneficiary of the whole situation set up on the territory of the UK the powerful forces domiciled in the US and Britain," Zakharova said.

She said Russia had braced itself in advance for the British allies' actions. "Quite naturally we realized after the EU summit what was in the offing and quite naturally we braced ourselves for it," Zakharova said.

Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia has said Washington has abused its power as the host of the UN headquarters when it moved to expel 12 staffers from Russia’s mission at the UN. He said the employees of Russia’s mission at the UN present their credentials to the UN and perform their functions exclusively within the UN.