Theresa May expels 23 Russian diplomats in retaliation for Sergei Skripal poisoning

Biggest expulsion since the Cold War

Britain has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the Salisbury attack, as Theresa May prepares to expel Russian diplomats from the UK.

The Foreign Office called the meeting on Wednesday hours before the the Prime Minister was to give a statement in the House of Commons setting out retaliatory action against Vladimir Putin and his allies.

The action is being taken after the Russian Foreign Minister said his country would not cooperate with the British investigation into the incident on 4 March, unless UK investigators handed over a sample of the Russian-made nerve agent they have identified.

T he Independent reported.

- Theresa May to expel Russian diplomats in retaliation against for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal.
- NATO releases a joint statement calling on Russia to answer questions about the attack.
- United Nations Security Council to meet on Wednesday evening to discuss Russia's use of nerve agents.
- Russia calls Britain's actions a "very serious provocation".

May also confirmed no ministers or members of the royal family would attend the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

I don't have a good feeling about this...

LONDON - The British government is to expel 23 Russian diplomats in retaliation for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, Theresa May said today.

In a statement to parliament, May accused the diplomats of being Russian spies and said it would be the single biggest expulsion for 30 years.

The prime minister accused the Russian state of being guilty of an "unlawful use of force... against the uk"

"Their response has demonstrated complete disdain for these events. They have provided no credible explanation," she told MPS.

The prime minister addressed MPs on Wednesday after her deadline for Russia to give a "credible" explanation for Skripal's death passed at midnight on Tuesday.

Russia has denied any involvement in the attempted murder of Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia in Salisbury. The two were found slumped on a bench in the town center on March 3, allegedly poisoned with a Soviet-engineered nerve agent called Novichok.

More at: nordic.businessinsider.com...

a reply to: vinifalou

Wow! What a repercussion!

This will make them think twice from now on!

a reply to: CriticalStinker

Yea, I was following this incident and couldn't imagine she'd take strong actions like this.

Politics these days is all about who has the bigger one... If you know what I mean.

a reply to: vinifalou

I hold May in the globalist camp. Evidence being her resistance to the efforts to leave the EU.

With Trump now pushing returning to the goal standard, TPTB are forced to ratchet up the chaos. As much to deflect from the populist momentum as anything else.

Trump they can 'out-wait' or negotiate with. Putin is largely in check via economic sanctions. Trump and Putin in a coalition scares the crap out of them, is my guess.

i therefore lean to this being a false flag event, although not 100% certain of that.

This could get out of hand very quickly.

a reply to: vinifalou

The chemical red line the west as been conditioned to has been crossed for the last time. This egregious violation of International Law will be punished with nothing less than total war.

Be dragged to WWIII by the staged chemical attack, expel all the diplomats, ratchet up rhetoric and bang the war drums loudly.

All the members of Parliament are standing up and sitting down, standing up and sitting down right now, singing yada yada yada.

And here all this time you thought NATOs expansion into Eastern Europe was a defensive measure.

Russia want a sample of the chemical agent before they make a comment.
Not unreasonable seeing as he was a Russian national.

Mossad as efficient as ever..

a reply to: intrptr

I think you're very right. This can easily get out of control.

I'm just looking forward to see what's the next move...

Putin, your turn.

a reply to: nwtrucker

i therefore lean to this being a false flag event, although not 100% certain of that.

With the way the state media of Russia is responding I really doubt that. Tie that in with Putins remarks in 2010 that traitors would kick the bucket and choke on their silver.... It seems a bit to convenient.

Not to mention there is a history of incidents like this.

Why would someone do a sloppy false flag that could deteriorate geopolitics just to spite Trump?

Edit: I don't buy into this Russia big bad wolf one every subject. I just look at each issue,this one looks like them. Though they do get blame for more than they should possibly.

a reply to: vinifalou

I'm just looking forward to see what's the next move...

More Sanctions, arms production and troop movements.

en.wikipedia.org...

I believe it was North Korea that said,"We do what we do, to scare the hell out of them."

I'm sure Russia is devastated.

Meh.

In CBRN, we learn that Novichok is some bad stuff, these people died painfully. Like some force starts crumbling you up like paper, involuntary painful contractions leading to eventual heart failure.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

That's why I cannot say with 100% certainty that it is a false flag.

I can speculate that the Russian media story is a policy statement directed to the more powerful in Russia that we'll get you if you turn on us as much as any proof that it isn't a false flag.

I can rebut that why would anyone as astute as Putin permit or make that kind of mistake by broadly announcing the fact before even doing it? It doesn't make any sense based on his moves in the past.

Putin isn't perfect either. He 'could' have made that mistake. One poster pointed that the nerve agent could have been collected in Syria. My point that the U.S. has physical access to Russia's nerve agents for the purpose of control and destruction by agreement.

I still lean to the false flag option, even though you make good points. It is those good points that make a false flag effort highly effective....Yes?

a reply to: vinifalou
Wanna bet that Vlad will expel the same number of UK diplomats...

a reply to: vinifalou

Have the British government provided hard evidence to prove a) Russian involvement and b) that the involvement was sanctioned by the Russian government?
If (and that's a big if) the Russian government is NOT involved then how could they be expected to provide a credible explanation? Seems like a lose lose for Russia; whatever they said or did not say would have damned them either way...

Perhaps the govt. DOES have hard evidence, in which case, fair enough, but so far they have not provided this or even claimed to have had such evidence.

I feel this response is somewhat hasty and could be May trying to project strength and shake off the perception of her being weak and incapable (which seems to be the widely held belief of the British public at this time).

Just to be clear; I am not defending the Russians and I would 100% support this action if they could prove that it was justifiable. However, as of this moment, I remain unconvinced.

I believe everyone should be assumed innocent until it can be proven that they are guilty and that applies to dodgy Russian dictators as well...

a reply to: Indrasweb

Have the British government provided hard evidence

The Russians have previous " form "

Evidence enough maybe.

Forgive me if I'm skeptical when I hear globalist warmongers say, "weapons of mass destruction, or gas attack, or nerve agent."

Remember how the first time Syria came up the whole world said "Hell No!." Then the thought went underground for a bit and resurfaces with "Gas Attacks His Own People!." Remember how that U.N. Inspector called B.S. on that one?

Having said that, Russia's support of Iran is problematic. But also having said that, someone mentioned MOSSAD and it does make one wonder.

Russia's request for a sample before it makes a statement sounds reasonable and if I understand correctly is proper international procedure.

Obviously Russia has a bullseye on its back lately. Hard to tell what to believe these days.

Meh, in 6 months the diplomats will return...

... why would Russia kill someone in this fashion? why use a exotic chemical weapon that only he makes?.. if he was sending a message, whats the message? it seems so over the top.. a simple gun shot or car accident would have done the job..

.. also, they didnt die.. if Russia really tried to kill someone with a nerve agent... they'd be dead...

feels like an outrageous claim... just like the nonsense that Assad gasses his own people

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: Indrasweb

Have the British government provided hard evidence

The Russians have previous " form "

Evidence enough maybe.

That is correct. Then again, so does the U.K.. Let me pose this question to you. Is the U.K. gov't or indiviuals within it capable of a false flag event-after all, it was Russians who were the target and collateral damage is acceptable- in their own nation?

I'm not saying that that is the case. What I am saying is 'capable' of it. I suspect yes. Many are capable of it.

Therefore, merely because Putin and/or Russia is capable of it isn't evidence at all. JMO, though.