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Australia has become the latest country to expel Russian diplomats as part of a global response to the poisoning of a Russian spy in the UK.
At 1615 hrs on 4th March 2018, a 999 call reported that Sergei Viktorovich Skripal, (66), and his daughter Yulia Skripal (33), who had flown into London's Heathrow Airport from Russia the previous day, were found unconscious on a public bench in the centre of Salisbury. Former officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in Salisbury with a chemical determined by the UK government to be a Novichok nerve agent.
Sergei Skripal was an officer for Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate GRU) and worked as a double agent for the UK's Secret Intelligence Service from 1995 until his arrest in Moscow in December 2004. He was convicted ofhigh treason and sentenced to 13 years in a penal colony by a Russian court in 2006. He settled in the UK in 2010 following the Illegals Program spy swap.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May gave an ultimatum to President Putin that if there would be no credible response from the Russian government the UK government would conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against the United Kingdom and measures would follow.
By 27th March 2018, a number of countries have expelled Russian diplomats in a show of solidarity with UK. More than 100 Russian diplomats from more than 20 countries were expelled in a co-ordinated response by the US and EU nations on Monday, marking it as “the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history”.
Vladmir Putin’s spokesman was quoted saying, "We see this tragic situation, but we don't have information on what could have led to this ".On 12th March, both Vladimir Putin and his spokesman dismissed questions about the incident from the press as not relevant for the Russian government.
Following Theresa May's statement in Parliament, Russian foreign minister Lavrov, referred to the statement as "an ultimatum from London" and endorsed remarks made by the ministry's spokesperson the day prior, who called May's statement "a circus show in the British parliament". He called allegations about Russia's complicity "balderdash".
On 17th March Russia announced that it was expelling 23 British diplomats and ordered the closure of the UK's consulate in St.Petersburg and the British Council office in Moscow, stopping all British Council activities in Russia
Lately, Australia is throwing out two diplomats suspected of being "undeclared intelligence officers", and while the number thrown out may be small just two the strength of the language used by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is unshakeable and distinct “We will not tolerate this reckless undermining of international law, this reckless assault on the sovereignty of nations," he asserted.
Russia has vowed to retaliate, just as it has with other nations who've already taken this step following the nerve agent attack in Salisbury.
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