Russia warns of reprisals if UK acts over spy attack

Well what those puppets of oligarchs can do? Poison the families of UK officials? Oh wait...

When you deny the cooperation and sharing the evidence you can't really cry and blame the party that was ready to cooperate. Well, sure thing you can, but it is completely undignified. Serbia denied access of foreign investigators when respectably asked for. They got leveled some time later. An indirect parallel.

Listen to this guy. Putin: "I'll make Prime Minister May an offer she can't refuse." That might work with Trump, but let's hope the Brits don't fall for this BS.

UK's house so UK's laws. If you enter their house and break their laws, then it's time for you to leave.

This would be funny if it wasn't so serious. Russia could have killed Skripal a hundred other ways that would have been much harder to trace, but they went out of their way to let the world know that they were the ones who committed this crime. Now they're pretending to be outraged at the accusation, as they always do whenever they're caught red-handed.

Another win for Putin. He’s getting even more ‘global’ publicity, showing what happens to those who might have gone against him - at any time, ever. 

He’s showing he’s got agents, probably many of whom colleagues from his days in the KGB, throughout the world willing to carry out his nastiness. 

He’s thumbing his nose at the ‘west’, knowing little will be done to try to stop him.

He’s got his troll farmers working full tilt in attempts to undermine the remains of the handful of democratic nations and institutions that could possibly provide opposition to him.

And he’s got Trump in his corner. (Under his thumb?)

I really do hope the UK follows through with their threat of retaliation.

Confiscate all Russian government property for a start, the Russian cancer should be excised from the West, so malignant is its influence. The EU should respond too

@rBush 15 countries were part of the USSR

The 'otherguy' defense! Why is it supporters of guys like Trump and Putin can't just come out and say they did it? Why is it Trump and Putin can't be honest?

How about this from Masha Geffen:

It’s not just that both Putin and Trump lie, it is that they lie in the same way and for the same purpose: blatantly, to assert power over truth itself.

We will see what the response is; but it should be swift and extensive if the Russian state gangsters are to be dissuaded from further action.

Yeah Trump is soooo under the thumb of Putin that he just fired Rex Tillerson who got an award from Russia. Try again. Russia collusion and muh Russia! is dead. It’s less important than Stormy Daniels per CNN.

“The source also believes the controversy potentially poses a bigger threat to Trump's presidency than Russia.”

Putin's Russia sounding more like the DPRK's Kim with every passing day.

Is banning RT the answer? I dunno, I quite enjoyed watching it several years ago but it's now unashamedly the mouthpiece for the regime. Still, it's good to know what the "enemy" is thinking.

Yeah Trump is soooo under the thumb of Putin that he just fired Rex Tillerson who got an award from Russia.

America has been attacked by Russia, who have also threatened that they can blow up anywhere in the world if they want, and the US can do nothing about it, showing missiles hitting Florida as an example.

And Trump won't even condemn them.

Weak. Why does your team see the need to appease Russia? Why do you not care about the security of their country? Why do you feel that appeasement of your enemies is the way to do things? Which countries are you going to appease next?

The Counter Terrorism squad are now investigating the death of Nikolai Glushkov.

zichi

The article mentions the guy who was developing the agent now lives in the US. Does not ring a bell how it could spread? He even proposed to dislclose the formula but was shut up by the local 'advisers'.

The ex-spy was exchanged for other spies 7 years ago-meaning, he was not important enough, that's why they let him live abroad. Killing him now-before Presidential elections- would make no sense for Russian government.

As for the chemical itself, it is not produced from 2017.

zichi

One can never guarantee any country fulfilled what they claimed,but the stock was destroyed in the presence of some international organization (forgot the acronym).

since the UK side did not provide the samples of the agent to Russian side- how can they claim what substance is that??Taking into account its high secrecy.

 How did Syria have nerve agents like VX, probably also from Russia.

’Probably' is the main word here. With "probably" everyone is left to believe what they simply like.

In the UK case, they accuse before offering any facts or evidence. "Prove you didn't do it" is not how justice works usually. If they would want to cooperate to find out what happened-they would cooperate with Russian side. If they want to simply accuse and win points-they go ahead.

In the UK case, they accuse before offering any facts or evidence. "Prove you didn't do it" is not how justice works usually. If they would want to cooperate to find out what happened-they would cooperate with Russian side. If they want to simply accuse and win points-they go ahead.

Who cares? It's Russia - sleaziest country on the planet right now. The nation-state equivalent of a troll. Absolutely disgusting government.

zichi

The only fact in this article is that Novichok was developed in the USSR. The guy mentioned in the article you copied-Vil Marzayanov-now lives in the States. He used to work in the development of this substances in the USSR times,and he wrote a book on that. So,Russia is not the only state able to produce the agent for long time.

VX was developed by the British, by the way.

So every time VX was used should it be blamed on the British?

Its 'highly likely' is not equal to 'we definitely know'.

zichi

I am not defending anyone, nor saying its impossible -its just highly illogical in this timing, using 'Russia-branded' agent on this person-who is just a nobody, since he is an old ex-spy, and is no threat to anyone.

I am saying that the fact that it was developed in Russia or was previously used there-does not mean this attack was organized by the government. It could be, could be not. It could be the people Skrypal betrayed,too, and they can be from Russia. But this needs investigation, not bold accusations.

And I agree we will never know for sure.

zichi

The nerve agent attack points to a government involvement and not just people betrayed by Skrypal.

Very strange logic.

You cited it yourself:

According to the Kommersant newspaper, Novichok agent was allegedly used in a criminal act in 1995 when Russian mafia assassins poisoned Russian banker Ivan Kivelidi, the head of the Russian Business Round Table,[and his secretary.

In the above case, who was the government?

Accusations are being made by the parties who did not participate in investigation. Why is it relevant? I can accuse random people in other countries while living on a different continent-does it make my claims right? I don't think so.

Here comes the factor of what you personally want to believe in-and its completely up to you.

zichi

Where do you think the Russian mafia assassins got the Novichok fro, the Russian government or agents. The Russian mafia/KGB/Putin are all in the same league and club.

You favorite question-How could you possibly know that? Also, how could you possibly know the details of the investigation which are not published anywhere? Give me a link that would say something more than "we think its Russia, coz this thing was developed in Russia and they had cases of using it before".

The Russian Foreign Minister suggested on live TV that its dangerous for Russians to live in the UK but without acknowledging the daughter of Skrypal is also a Russian citizen. A government should express concern when one of its citizens is attacked by a nerve agent,

It should express concern, but that very government was blamed for the attack without evidence, and was denied cooperation. What do you expect them to do?

The parties I am referring to

The accusations are being made by Britain, America, European leaders.

All those, who were not anywhere in the position to make such accusations-since they are not part of the investigation, and located far away.

To make it simpler for you, imagine someone found a your bike at a crime scene. You don"t deny its your bike, and you had a conflict with a person long before, but not to the point to kill them. Meanwhile, a random person living in another city who dislikes you, and another one living in a different country, claims its you. How relevant is what they say?Irrelevant. What relevant is, is how the police gets the evidence and investigates whats happened. Based on that, they can accuse someone or not. Not in reversed order.

To make it simpler for you, imagine someone found a your bike at a crime scene. You don"t deny its your bike, and you had a conflict with a person long before, but not to the point to kill them. Meanwhile, a random person living in another city who dislikes you, and another one living in a different country, claims its you. How relevant is what they say?Irrelevant. What relevant is, is how the police gets the evidence and investigates whats happened. Based on that, they can accuse someone or not. Not in reversed order.

The problem for Russia is that everything they are accused of is entirely plausible based on their recent actions. If they get blamed wrongly for it, it's their own fault for creating their own reputation. It's a nation-troll. They are lying in the bed the made.

If they get wrongly blamed for this, then it's their own fault.

So it’s ok to falsely blame people and even entire governments and countries cause they “deserve” it.

Now I see where all the Trump hate comes from. It’s actually just being able to assign blame to someone or something you as liberals “don’t like”. Don’t need any “evidence” or “proof”, huh?

Next time a crime is committed in a foreign country with a samurai sword just grab the closest Japanese guy, it’s highly likely he did it.

So it’s ok to falsely blame people and even entire governments and countries cause they “deserve” it.

No, it's not ok. All efforts should be made to find the truth, not a scapegoat.

But if it turns out Russia is wrongly blamed, I will shed no tears for them - they are the sleaziest nation in the world. If they get mistakenly blamed, it will be their own fault.

Now I see where all the Trump hate comes from. It’s actually just being able to assign blame to someone or something you as liberals “don’t like”. Don’t need any “evidence” or “proof”, huh?

No, the Trump hate comes about from him being a useless and incompetent bigot.

"If someone is wrongly blamed-its their only fault" wow

That's not what I said. If you're going to criticize what I say, try a little intellectual honesty by using some accuracy.

I said if Russia is wrongly blamed, it's their fault. And it is. They have been trolling us all for years now, and I'm not going to feel bad if they get wrongly accused based on their trolling.

Truly sleazy nation. Absolutely pathetic and disgusting. The world will be better off if they collapse and fall in upon themselves again.

While having biases against LGBT and black people is a big deal, having biases against a whole nation is ok.

It is when that nation is Russia.

The election next week is not what I would call fair and free.

It's no election, it's a farce.

zichi

Such a long comment, and no new relevant information.

The use of deadly chemical weapons is far more serious than your silly bike tale.

Exactly!!How could you notice?

Unlike the hypothetical case with a bike, according to the Chemical weapons convention, the country accused of using chemical weapons has a right to get its sample. But its not happening.

A country has also a right to get access to the investigation in which its citizen was a victim-this is also not happening. Why?

Unlike the hypothetical case with a bike, according to the Chemical weapons convention, the country accused of using chemical weapons has a right to get its sample.

Screw that, Russia deserves zero respect. They have shown none for the rest of the world, and therefore deserve none.

They have the right to shut the f$#" up. That's about it.

I know that bugs Russians like you and Burningbush, but if you guys don't want your country to be looked at like the piece of sh#t it is, then they should start a movement to get their country to stop being a piece of sh#t.

zichi

The Russian government had not expressed any concern on the daughter being attacked, just warning dissents that fleeing to Britain won't put them beyond reach or safe.

You can read Russian to state this?

On the other hand, I haven't seen any messages to flee Britain. Please share

Vil Mirzayanov, 83, said he had no doubt Russian President Vladimir Putin was responsible, given Russia maintained tight control over its Novichok stockpile and that the agent is too complicated for a non-state actor to have weaponised.

"The Kremlin all the time, like all criminals, denying — it doesn't mean anything," Dr Mirzayanov said in an interview in his home in Princeton, New Jersey, where he has lived in exile for more than 20 years.

Again-very relevant information. A person driven to exile comments on Russian government. But wait a second-how can he know what Putin is like, if he left the country before Putin came to power?

I guess, from the image he got in the american media. That's a very first-hand information.

You still haven't sent the link about 'fleeing Russians'.

Again-very relevant information. A person driven to exile comments on Russian government. But wait a second-how can he know what Putin is like, if he left the country before Putin came to power?

People keep in touch with their homelands and know what is happening there, direct from the people they know.

I guess, from the image he got in the american media. That's a very first-hand information.

More Russian trolling. How pathetic. People don't need the American media to know how pathetic and what a piece of sh%t the Russian government is, they have shown it to the whole world. They have no respect for the world, and therefore they deserve no respect.

Note that this isn't to say the Russian people are bad - people and government are not the same. That said the Russians I've met have been a pretty dour sort.

Путин - лжец и дерьмо

You can say that again.

When popularity is down or a major election looming, these kind of stories hit the headlines.

Those are the actions of a country that isn't weak, that isn't appeasing it's enemies out of fear.

It's like the struggle in Wuxia between good sect and bad sect and Disney fairytales where you just know who the bad guys are. At the end òf the day, it's not about who actually did it, what makes sense or what the truth is. It's about which side you choose and whoever you hate must be the culprit. Political fanfare is even worst than some pop idol fanfare. After all the population is supposed to be adults but they certainly can be a lot more fanatical than the kids they look down upon.