The U.S. has expressed outrage over the poisoning of a Russian double agent and his daughter in England that Western leaders say Russia is “highly likely” responsible for.
British Prime Minister Theresa May gave Russia a midnight deadline to explain how a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union came to be used in the March 4 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in England.
U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson expressed support for Britain's assessment that Russia was "likely responsible" for the Skripals’ poisoning in the English city of Salisbury.
“There is never a justification for this type of attack – the attempted murder of a private citizen on the soil of a sovereign nation – and we are outraged that Russia appears to have again engaged in such behavior,” Tillerson said in a statement on Monday.
The Russian Embassy in Washington called Tillerson’s comments “fake news” in a Facebook post on Tuesday, while the Russian Embassy in London said it was “outraged by the anti-Russian media campaign.”
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called the poisoning a “reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible […] outrage” and offered Washington’s support to London.
Russia's Foreign Ministry hit back immediately after May’s accusation, saying her comments were a "circus show" and part of political information campaign against Russia.
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