Skripal Poising Case: UK’s action reflects inability to meet Brexit promises – Lavrov

UK’s actions in the case of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal are partly caused by authorities’ inability to meet their Brexit promises, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday.

“I think that this story primarily reflects the desperation of the current UK government, especially in the situation where they cannot ensure these promises they made to their population in relation to leaving the European Union,” Lavrov said at the “Russia – a country of possibilities” forum.

Lavrov described actions of the UK government against Moscow as outrageous.

On Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced that 23 Russian diplomats had a week to leave the country, blaming Moscow for Skripal’s poisoning.

The former Russian intelligence officer and his daughter were found slumped unconscious on a bench in Salisbury after being exposed to what UK experts have said was Russia-developed military-grade nerve agent Novichok.

“[Moscow will be ready to return to a partnership with Brussels] when our European neighbors lose interest in following the U.S.

“Russophobic tendencies, including sanctions and provocations and when, of course, the interest to put up with the outrageous actions that we are seeing now on the part of the UK government, will disappear, and which go far beyond the bounds of elementary decency.

“We calmly respond to all these tricks by the fact that we want to talk with everyone and discuss any problems … but do it respectfully, without hysteria,” Lavrov said.