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Britain Preparing 'Proportionate' Response to Russia After Spy Poisoning by Nerve Agent

Andrew Matthews / PA Images / TASS

Britain is looking for a "proportionate way" to respond to the threat posed by Russia, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday, after a retired Russian army official said the poisoning of a former spy could start a new world war.

"We need to respond in a proportionate way to this aggressive behaviour from Russia and that's what we're doing," the spokesman said when asked if there was a real risk of triggering a war.

Evgeny Buzhinsky, a retired lieutenant general, was quoted in British newspapers on Tuesday as saying the fallout of the attack could trigger "the last war in the history of mankind".

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