© AP Photo/ Matt Dunham
An anonymous minister has confirmed that London's response to the ex-spy's poisoning will be economic. "What happens will be an economic war, these will be economic measures," the source said, speaking to The Independent. Bragging about the size of the British economy compared to Russia's, the minister promised that the government would "do our bit to make [Russia's economy] smaller if they want to carry on like this."
"The message has to be economic, political and diplomatic," the minister stressed, noting that European countries must "behave within the rule of law and not like gangsters."
Comment: Behaving within the rule of law? Say, doesn't that mean relying on things like evidence rather than propagandist fantasies?
According to The Independent, London's measures may include putting hundreds of millions of Russian-owned assets and property under the spotlight, and seize them if their owners are linked to the Russian government or to the Skripal case, and cannot prove a legitimate source for the wealth used to purchase the assets.
Ultimately, the minister vowed that "when measures are announced, the total will be greater than the sum of its parts."
Russian ex-spy and MI6 double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were allegedly poisoned by a toxic nerve agent known as Novichok in the southern English city of Salisbury on March 4, and remain hospitalized in critical condition. On March 12, after meeting with the UK's national security council, Prime Minister Theresa May gave an address to lawmakers, where she gave Russia a 24-hour ultimatum to explain itself or face retaliation.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called May's remarks a "circus show in the UK's parliament," pointing out that the prime minister had presented absolutely no evidence proving Russian involvement. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov complained that Russia wasn't provided with any evidence regarding the crime, in spite of the accusation of Russian involvement, and the fact that Russia had made a request for information regarding a crime which affected Yulia Skripal, who is a Russian citizen. A Russian lawmaker noted that Russia had destroyed its stocks of Novichok, something that was confirmed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Media also confirmed Wednesday that the United States military had received access to the nerve agent when the Pentagon was asked to assist in dismantling a Soviet-era chemical weapons research institute in Uzbekistan in the late 1990s.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May accused Russia of using a chemical weapon on British soil and told Parliament about plans to retaliate against Moscow.
The measures outlined by May are in response to the poisoning of a former Russian double agent, which the British government described as an "unlawful use of force by the Russian state." The accusation is based on the nature of the poison used, which, Britain said, was developed by the Soviet Union.
Here are the measures Britain is going to take:
Expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats
May said the UK identified 23 people working as diplomats in London, who are actually agents of the Russian intelligence service. Expelling them would undermine Russia's espionage capabilities on British soil, she argued. The move is the largest in decades, according to the Prime Minister.
New legislative powers
May wants her cabinet to have additional powers that, according to her, would boost the government's ability to protect Britain. Those include new powers to detain unwanted individuals at the border, new counter-espionage powers and new powers to impose sanctions.
Limiting ties
The UK will suspend certain senior-level contacts with Russia. This includes the suspension of a planned visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Britain and the cancellation of a planned visit of a British official delegation to the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Asset freezes
May said the UK will freeze Russian state assets in the UK that can be used to cause damage to the nation's security. She did not say which assets could be targeted.
Some measures the UK plans to take cannot be shared publicly, May said.
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