EU condemns poisoning of ex-spy

Russian denials of attack ‘absurd,’ British official says

A vehicle wrapped in blue tarpaulin is removed Monday in Durrington, England, on the back of an Army lorry, as the investigation into the suspected nerve-agent attack on Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter continues.
A vehicle wrapped in blue tarpaulin is removed Monday in Durrington, England, on the back of an Army lorry, as the investigation into the suspected nerve-agent attack on Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter continues.

BRUSSELS -- The European Union on Monday condemned the poisoning in Britain of a former Russian spy, and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described Moscow's claims that it is not responsible for the attack as absurd.

"The lives of many citizens were threatened by this reckless and illegal act," EU foreign ministers said in a statement in Brussels, where they were briefed by Johnson on the latest developments surrounding the March 4 poisoning in Salisbury that left Sergei Skripal and his daughter in critical condition.

Without explicitly blaming Russia or threatening any repercussions, the ministers called on Russia to "address urgently" British questions over its Novichok nerve agent program, and they expressed "unqualified solidarity" with Prime Minister Theresa May's government.

Johnson told reporters that "Russian denials grow increasingly absurd," with contradictory claims about whether Russia produced Novichok used in the attack.

"What people can see is that this is a classic Russian strategy of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation," he said.

Johnson said many EU countries have been victims of "malign Russian behavior" and that Moscow is "not fooling anybody anymore."

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, responded by saying the "slanderous anti-Russian flow coming from Britain is inexplicable, unfounded and driven by unclear motives."

He told reporters that Britain will have "to back it with some kind of proof or offer excuses."

Later Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there's serious information pointing to Russia's responsibility in the poisoning, and that the duty now lies with Moscow to prove that it wasn't involved.

On a visit to Warsaw, Merkel also said she expects EU leaders to come to "strong conclusions" in the matter at a summit Thursday night in Brussels. Russia strongly denies any involvement.

But German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the EU stood beside Britain and its analysis of what happened.

"We have been informed in great detail in recent days by our colleagues in Britain. All the information we have suggests that there is no alternative plausible explanation to the Russian side bearing a share of the responsibility," Maas said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian agreed, saying: "We share the British analysis."

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom rejected Russian suggestions that her country might have stockpiles of Novichok.

"This is just ridiculous and totally unfounded. I think that they are trying to make some kind of diversion from the real issues here," she said.

Britain also received backing from NATO on Monday, with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying "all 29 NATO allies stand united. We stand in solidarity with the United Kingdom."

Stoltenberg said that "Russia's response so far has demonstrated a clear disregard for international peace and security. We continue to call on Russia to provide the complete disclosure of the Novichok program."

In England, military officials removed a vehicle from a village 10 miles north of Salisbury as part of the inquiry into the Skripals' poisoning.

A road in the village of Durrington was closed off and tents were erected as the military and police searched for clues Monday.

The military did not say why the vehicle was removed. British media said it had been used to transport Yulia Skripal from the airport when she arrived in Britain a day before the attack.

Information for this article was contributed by staff members of The Associated Press.

A Section on 03/20/2018

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