By Eddie Trower-
Russia was given a midnight deadline by Prime Minister Theresa May to explain why a Russian-made nerve agent was used in the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.
Ms May told the Commons on Monday the poison used in the attack was a military-grade nerve agent developed by Russia. She said it was part of a group of nerve agents known as Novichok
“Either this was a direct action by the Russian state against our country, or the Russian government lost control of its potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others,” she said.
Mrs May said the Foreign Office had summoned Russia’s ambassador to “explain which of these two possibilities it is”. She warned that if there was no “credible response” by the end of Tuesday, the UK would conclude there has been an “unlawful use of force” by Moscow.
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However, Russia’s foreign minister has refused co-operation with the UK’s investigation into how an ex-spy and his daughter were poisoned until it has been given a sample of the substance used.
“Russia is not responsible,” Sergei Lavrov said during a televised press conference that marked an escalation of the standoff with the UK over the poisoning of the former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia.
Lavrov also suggested Moscow would not comply with a Tuesday midnight deadline set by Theresa May to deliver an explanation or face retaliation. He said Moscow’s requests to see samples of the nerve agent had been turned down. He called this a violation of the chemical weapons convention outlawing the production of chemical weapons.
“We have already made our statement on this case,” he said. “Russia is ready to cooperate in accordance with the convention to ban chemical weapons if the United Kingdom will deign to fulfil its obligations according to the same convention.”
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In his remarks, Lavrov said that under the convention, Russia would have 10 days to reply to an official accusation by the UK over the use of a banned substance within its borders.
Former double agent Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury city centre in Wiltshire on 4 March. They remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital.
Det Sgt Nick Bailey, who fell ill attending to the pair, remains seriously ill, but has been talking to his family. Home Secretary Ms Rudd has announced that MI5 and police are to look into claims that as many as 14 deaths on UK soil may be linked to Russia.
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