Skripal Case Bombshell: Swiss Lab Reports 'BZ Toxin' Used In Salisbury - Chemical Not Produced In Russia, Only NATO States

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05.05.2018 - Skripal Case Two Months On: Russian Embassy Taunts UK PM May Over Lack of Proof
Skripal Case Two Months On: Russian Embassy Taunts UK PM May Over Lack of Proof

The UK Foreign Office is continuing to stick with her “highly likely” motto regarding Moscow being behind the alleged poisoning attack on former Russian intelligence agent Sergei Skripal, while having no evidence to corroborate her claims.

It’s been two months since Sergei Skripal and his daughter were allegedly poisoned in Salisbury, UK as a result of exposure to a nerve agent, and while the UK government keeps blaming it on Moscow, the Russian Embassy has once again stressed that the authorities had neither a suspect nor proof – only unfounded accusations that led to the worst crisis in Russia-UK relations.

The meme is as an allusion to the movie “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” by the Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh.

Two months after the Salisbury incident, Sputnik’s here to remind readers of the landmarks in the Skripal case:

Found Collapsed
On March 4, Sergei, former officer from Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), and his daughter Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping mall in Salisbury, with police later saying the pair was “in critical condition in intensive care.”

Targeted by Nerve Agent, First Speculations of Russian Involvement
Immediately after the incident, British media speculated if the incident was a targeted attack against Sergei, alleging Russian involvement, while police later reported that the Skripals were the subjects of an attempted murder by administration of a nerve agent. The Kremlin said that the accusations against Moscow “were not long in coming,” and offered to work together with the UK authorities on investigating the case.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s readiness to provide assistance in the probe, at the same time stressing that Russia hadn’t been provided with any specific facts, proving its involvement in the Skripals’ poisoning. London refused to cooperate with Russia on the case, as well as to provide samples of the substance allegedly used against the Skripal family.

May: Russia is ‘Highly Likely’ Behind the Poisoning
With the investigation still underway, UK Prime Minister Theresa May rushed to a conclusion saying that it was “highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yuila Skripal,” adding that Moscow was either accountable for the poisoning, or allowed the military-grade nerve agent Novichok, “developed by Russia” to get into the hands of those who were.

Moscow, in turn, has consistently denied the accusations, calling them “absurd.” May said that London’s claims were based on “the positive identification of this chemical agent by world-leading experts at the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down.”

UK Expels 23 Russian Diplomats, Moscow Strikes Back
Moreover, the prime minister announced the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats from the UK since the Cold War over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the incident. Days later, the Russian Foreign Ministry declared 23 employees of the UK Embassy in Moscow personae non gratae in response to London’s move, having also revoked its agreement on the opening and operation of the UK Consulate General in St. Petersburg.

Mass Expulsion of Russian Diplomats in Solidarity with UK
Over 25 countries decided to oust Russian diplomatic workers in solidarity with London – Moscow retaliated with a mirror response to all those countries that expelled Russian diplomats, sending back the equivalent number of their employees from Russia.

Skripals’ Awakening
While medics claimed that Yulia and Sergei were in critical condition after being exposed to the nerve agent, and might never recover, the agent’s daughter woke up after spending a month in the hospital. The woman said that her strength was growing daily, and she regained the ability to speak.

Days later, the Salisbury Hospital announced that her father was no longer in critical condition and was recovering despite the initial claims.

Scotland Yard Yet to Find Suspects
The police are yet to find suspects in the poisoning, with the Sunday People media outlet reporting earlier this week that a former officer from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), codenamed Gordon, had been identified as a suspect, adding that he had already left the UK for Russia.

OPCW Unable to Determine Amount of Nerve Agent
"In response to questions from the media, the OPCW spokesperson stated that the OPCW would not be able to estimate or determine the amount of the nerve agent that was used in Salisbury on March 4, 2018. The quantity should probably be characterized in milligrams. However, the analysis of samples collected by the OPCW Technical Assistance Visit team concluded that the chemical substance found was of high purity, persistent and resistant to weather conditions," the statement by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons read.

Earlier, the New York Times reported, citing the director general of the OPCW, that 50 or 100 grams of the substance had been used in Salisbury.

UK Foreign Office: Russia Still Behind Skripal Poisoning
Earlier this week, Czech Republic President Miloš Zeman said that his country had produced in small quantities and then destroyed an A230 nerve agent, which the Czech military intelligence service called "Novichok.".Commenting on Zeman’s statement, the UK Foreign Office reiterated its position concerning the Skripals' poisoning, saying that the UK still considers Russia to be the perpetrator despite the Czech president’s words.


04.05.2018 - Skripal Case to affect Russia-UK Anti-Terrorism Cooperation - Russian Deputy FM
Skripal Case to Affect Russia-UK Anti-Terrorism Cooperation - Russian Deputy FM

"The United Kingdom suspended relations with us, prevented the law enforcement task force from visiting the Olympic Games in London, but then asked to come for the Sochi Olympics. It will be the same pattern now, naturally, they will want to visit [the FIFA World Cup in Russia]," Syromolotov said.

 

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May 05, 2018 - UK Media Told to Conceal Connections Between Sergei Skripal and MI6
https://www.globalresearch.ca/uk-me...ctions-between-sergei-skripal-and-mi6/5639180

Craig Murray, the former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, has published evidence suggesting that a D-notice has been issued to the press to protect MI6, hiding its connections to the Russian double-agent, Sergei Skripal. According to the Conservative government and a pliant media, Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were poisoned by Russia with a “novichok” nerve agent.

A D-notice (Defence and Security Media Advisory Notice) is used by the British state to veto the publication of potentially damaging news stories. Formally a request to withhold publication, the slavishness of the mainstream media ensures these notices function for the most part as gag orders.

Murray initially reported the claims of famous whistleblower Clive Ponting that a D-notice had likely been issued in relation to some aspect of the Skripal affair. He then noted Channel 4 journalist Charles Thomson’s confirmation that a D-notice had, in fact, been issued and that it related specifically to censoring the identity of Skripal’s MI6 handler.

Murray suggests that the MI6 agent in question is called Pablo Miller.

As Murray notes, the specific attempt to protect Miller’s identity is highly significant. Miller is an associate of former British intelligence officer, Christopher Steele, first in espionage operations in Russia and more recently in the activities of Steele’s private intelligence firm, Orbis Business Intelligence.

Steele was responsible for compiling the Trump–Russia dossier, comprising 17 memos written in 2016 alleging misconduct and conspiracy between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Putin administration. The dossier, paid for by the Democratic Party, claimed that Trump was compromised by evidence of his sexual proclivities in Russia’s possession. Steele was the subject of an earlier (unsuccessful) D-notice, which attempted to keep his identity as the author of the dossier a secret.

If Miller and, by extension, Skripal himself were somehow involved in Orbis’ work on the highly-suspect Steele–Trump dossier, alongside representatives of British and possibly US intelligence, then all manner of motivations can be suggested for an attack on the ex-Russian spy and British double agent by forces other than Russia’s intelligence service, the FSB.

Miller’s official career comprised a period of service in the British Army—the Royal Tank Regiment and the Royal Green Jackets—and then postings as a diplomat in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Nigeria from 1992, Tallinn in Estonia from 1997, and Warsaw in Poland from 2010 to 2013. In 2015, he was awarded an OBE by the Queen “for service to British foreign policy.”

In 2000, the FSB accused Miller of being “head of British intelligence in Tallinn” and claimed he had turned an FSB officer, Valery Ojamae, for MI6. Seven years later, Miller was again named as an intelligence operative, this time in connection with another MI6-recruited former Russian security officer, Vyacheslav Zharko. The FSB statement at the time indicated that Miller had also been suspected of involvement in the turning of Sergei Skripal.

His connections with Skripal do not end there. On March 7, before the government had got its narrative in order, the Telegraph newspaper reported that the Russian had been close to a “security consultant” living nearby: “The consultant, who The Telegraph is declining to identify [i.e. has been told not to], lived close to Col Skripal and is understood to have known him for some time.”

Miller, according to his LinkedIn profile—swiftly deleted following the Skripal affair—had retired from British diplomacy/intelligence to settle down in Salisbury. The same profile also reportedly listed Miller’s “consultancy work” at Orbis Intelligence, linking Skripal, Miller and Steele.

When this connection was first made in early March, the BBC’s security correspondent Gordon Corera and Guardian ’s Luke Harding rushed to issue denials. Corera tweeted:

“No link Chris Steele to Sergei Skripal: sources close to Orbis Intelligence—ex MI6 officer Chris Steele’s company which did Trump ‘dossier’—tell me no links whatsoever to Russian targeted with nerve agent.”​

Harding joined him, saying,

“The @Telegraph story claiming a link between Sergei #Skripal and Christopher Steele’s company Orbis is wrong, I understand. Skripal had nothing to do with Trump dossier. Nor did unnamed ‘security consultant’ ever work for Orbis.”​

At the time, replies to Harding pointed out that, though Miller’s LinkedIn page had been deleted, a search for “Pablo Miller” and “Orbis Business Intelligence” still brought the dead page up first on Google’s listings—with none of the other Pablo Millers on the site featured in the results. Another pointed to a forum on which the presence of Orbis Intelligence on Miller’s profile was mentioned, with a link to the same LinkedIn address.

Beside these points, there is the timing of Steele’s, Miller’s and Skripal’s intelligence activities in Russia. Miller, as we have seen, was closely involved with the turning and handling of Russian double-agents at least during his time in Tallinn from 1997 to 2010. Skripal was passing information to the British from 1995. Steele was posted to Moscow as a spy between 1990-1993, returned to London as part of a group of Kremlin specialists and was head of MI6’s Russia desk by 2006.

Professor Anthony Glees, the director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham, has commented,

“It is beyond doubt that he [Skripal] would have known Steele and Steele would have known him.”​

Miller, meanwhile, would have been working under Steele.

As to why Corera and Harding omitted any research along these lines, in Corera’s case, one could point to the recent National Security Capability review which cited the BBC as an element of Britain’s programme for advancing its geostrategic position. Harding, on the other hand, seems to have a telepathic link with the minds of Britain’s leading security personnel. His most prominent work of late consists of hatchet jobs on Julian Assange and Edward Snowden and propaganda pieces against Russia.

While the precise nature of the relations between Skripal, Miller, and Steele are hidden, enough is already known to raise sharp questions about Skripal’s ongoing involvement with British intelligence.

Was he, as Murray suggests hypothetically, in fact, a participant in the creation of Steele’s Trump dossier? Did he have inconvenient knowledge of ongoing British operations in and against Russia? And, most significant of all, was he targeted by MI6 or the CIA in a preemptive strike to ensure his silence?

These revelations come amid the latest expression of the ongoing collapse of the official Skripal narrative. Yesterday, the UK’s National Security Advisor, Sir Mark Sedwell, admitted that the security agencies had no suspects in the Skripal case.

On April 20, the Daily Telegraph reported,

“Police and intelligence agencies have identified key suspects in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia… Counter-terrorism police are now trying to build a case against ‘persons of interest,’ who are believed to be back in Russia.”​

The Telegraph had “been told” that “a search of flight manifests in and out of the UK has yielded specific names in the hunt for the Skripal’s would-be assassins.”

This story had a shelf-life of eleven days. None of these issues will be probed by the media because the war drive against Russia will suffer no criticism.

 

[Ruth]

May 05, 2018 - UK Media Told to Conceal Connections Between Sergei Skripal
(snip)
While the precise nature of the relations between Skripal, Miller, and Steele are hidden, enough is already known to raise sharp questions about Skripal’s ongoing involvement with British intelligence.

Was he, as Murray suggests hypothetically, in fact, a participant in the creation of Steele’s Trump dossier? Did he have inconvenient knowledge of ongoing British operations in and against Russia? And, most significant of all, was he targeted by MI6 or the CIA in a preemptive strike to ensure his silence?

These revelations come amid the latest expression of the ongoing collapse of the official Skripal narrative. Yesterday, the UK’s National Security Advisor, Sir Mark Sedwell, admitted that the security agencies had no suspects in the Skripal case.

On April 20, the Daily Telegraph reported,

“Police and intelligence agencies have identified key suspects in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia… Counter-terrorism police are now trying to build a case against ‘persons of interest,’ who are believed to be back in Russia.”​

The Telegraph had “been told” that “a search of flight manifests in and out of the UK has yielded specific names in the hunt for the Skripal’s would-be assassins.”

This story had a shelf-life of eleven days. None of these issues will be probed by the media because the war drive against Russia will suffer no criticism.

This is quite an interesting question. Did Skripal have any involvement with the production of the Trump dossier?

And then, if Russia did not have anything to do with the poisoning, then surely, that 'person of interest' would find it a bit risky hightailing it back to Russia?

 

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Friday May 4, 2018 - Sergei Skripal remains at Salisbury District Hospital — source
Sergei Skripal remains at Salisbury District Hospital — source

Former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Colonel Sergei Skripal, who was poisoned in the British city of Salisbury two months ago, at Salisbury District Hospital, a hospital source told TASS on Friday.

"I can confirm that Mr Skripal is a patient and if you look at the NHS England website you will get the current Salisbury update with the current condition check. The other patient has been discharged," the source said.

However, the most recent report about the Skripal incident issued by the NHS England dates to April 10. The report says that Sergei Skripal’s health is improving and he is no longer in critical condition. However, according to Dr Christine Blanshard, the hospital’s medical director, "he is recovering more slowly than Yulia." "We hope that he too will be able to leave hospital in due course," she added.

Earlier on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Great Britain was still reluctant to cooperate with Russia in investigating the Salisbury incident and provide Moscow with consular access to Russian citizens.

Skripal saga
According to London, Sergei Skripal, who had been convicted in Russia of spying for Great Britain and later swapped for Russian intelligence officers, and his daughter Yulia suffered the effects of an alleged nerve agent in the British city of Salisbury on March 4. Claiming that the substance used in the attack had been a Novichok-class nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union, London rushed to accuse Russia of being involved in the incident. Moscow rejected all of the United Kingdom’s accusations, saying that a program aimed at developing such a substance had existed neither in the Soviet Union nor in Russia.

However, the UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats and announced other restrictive measures against Moscow without presenting any evidence of its involvement in the incident. In retaliation to the UK’s steps, Russia expelled 23 British diplomats, closed the British consulate general in the city of St. Petersburg, while the British Council had to shut down its operations in Russia.

In the wake of the Skripal incident, a number of EU member countries, the United States, Canada and Australia announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats. Washington expelled 60 diplomatic workers and closed the Russian consulate in Seattle.

The Russian Foreign Ministry later announced retaliatory measures against counties that had expelled Russian diplomats. In particular, Moscow expelled 60 US diplomats and closed the US consulate general in the city of St. Petersburg. The United Kingdom was requested to reduce the number of its diplomatic staff in Russia so that it would match the number of Russian diplomats in Great Britain.

 

[Ca.]

Gov't Forcing Media to Suppress Bombshell Skripal Case Details, Effectively Changing the Story
May 6, 2018
Snip:

Moon of Alabama reported that “Steele was an MI6 undercover agent in Moscow around the time when Skripal was recruited and handed over Russian secrets to the MI6. He also ran the MI6 Russia desk so anything about Skripal will have passed through him. It is very likely that they personally knew each other. Pablo Miller, who worked for Steele’s private company, lived in the same town as Skripal and they seem to have been friends since Miller had recruited him.”

Orbis Business Intelligence was co-founded by Steele and would employ Skripal’s handler, Pablo Miller, as soon as he left MI6.

Further indicative of something likely suspicious afoot, a D Notice, which effectively bans British media outlets and journalists from mentioning Pablo Miller, was put in place on the day of the Salisbury chemical attack.

Former British diplomat Craig Murray posted a screenshot of a tweet that he called a “vital confirmation from Channel 4 News (serial rebel Alex Thomson) of the D Notice in place on mention of Pablo Miller.”

https://twitter.com/x/status/990674906617663488

 

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08.05.2018 - Skripal's House in Salisbury still being Examined by UK Police - May's Spokesman
Skripal's House in Salisbury Still Being Examined by UK Police – May’s Spokesman

The house of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who have been poisoned with a nerve agent in the UK city of Salisbury, is still being examined by the UK police, while other sites related to the poisoning are released for further decontamination, UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said.

"The police have now released all the sites for decontamination, except for the Skripal house. Cleanup work is well under way and the priority is making the sites safe so they can be returned to use and Salisbury can get back to normal. More than 250 officers from across the counter-terrorism policing network have been deployed, alongside more than 160 officers from Wiltshire police and a range of experts and partners," he stated, as quoted by The Guardian newspaper.

Following the Skripals’ poisoning, the UK authorities began cleanup work at nine locations in the city to decontaminate potentially affected sites.

Theresa May said in late April that Salisbury was safe for residents, though according to reports, the process should have taken months to complete.

 

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13.05.2018 - Reports: Skripal Visited Prague, Later Met with Czech Special Services in the UK
Reports: Skripal Visited Prague, Later Met With Czech Special Services in the UK

Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer, secretly visited Prague in 2012 and at least once met with Czech special services in Britain.

After Skripal was released from prison in Russia in 2010, he settled in the UK, where he collaborated with the MI6 service in disclosing the networks of Russian foreign agents, Prague weekly Respekt reported on Sunday.

"With this aim the British allowed representatives of intelligence agencies from partner countries including Czech Republic to meet with Skripal. At least once in 2012 Skripal visited Prague, and although he stayed there only for a short time, his stay for the local special services was useful. Representatives of the Czech special services then met with the former Russian spy, according to Respekt's information, at least once, and in the UK,” the weekly wrote.

The Czech special services, however, in no way connect these facts with the poisoning of Skripal in March 2018.

[...] Earlier, Czech President Milos Zeman said that a small amount of the A230 toxin, similar to Novichok, had been produced at the Czech Military Research Institute in 2017 and then destroyed.

The Czech president added that the country's military intelligence and the domestic intelligence service, BIS, differed on which substance could be classified as Novichok.

 

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Tuesday May 15, 2018 - Russian embassy warns of attempts to embroil other states in Skripal case
http://tass.com/world/1004477

The Russian embassy in London believes that latest media reports about alleged Estonian and Czech contacts of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal are aimed at drawing as many US and UK allies as possible into the case, an embassy spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The New York Times has reported, citing a high-ranking EU representative familiar with the situation, that Sergei Skripal had visited Estonia in 2016 to meet with the country’s intelligence officers. On Sunday, the Respekt news portal in the Czech Republic said Skripal had secretly visited Prague in 2012. "Despite the fact that it was a brief visit, this trip was useful for the local intelligence services. Representatives of Czech security services later met with the former Russian spy at least once in the United Kingdom," the paper said. New York Times sources confirmed those reports as well.

"Obviously, in the absence of any evidence of Russia’s involvement in Sergei and Yulia Skripal’s poisoning, UK special services are desperately trying to find a “motive” that could explain Moscow’s alleged guilt," the spokesperson said. "After all, for the lack of specific facts proving Russia’s involvement, the “motive” remains the only opportunity to link the Salisbury incident with a Russian trace, as all the previous arguments like 'Russia has a law which allows to kill traitors' have been completely debunked."

"Indeed, the former military intelligence officer sharing best practices with Czech and Estonian colleagues along with constant contacts with his MI6 handler could appear for the public as more or less plausible motivation of 'Russian retribution for a traitor,'" the source continued. "But the question arises why this information comes from the New York Times and not British officials, and not in the first days after the attack, but two months later?"

"And, as usual, the leak in question deals with secret services, and therefore cannot be verified by the public," he added.

"The mention of the Czech Republic and Estonia is meant to keep the policy going to draw the maximum number of the UK and US international partners into the Salisbury case. We don’t think this effort will be successful – after the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats, which turned out to be groundless, it’s unlikely that even Britain’s allies would take its statements for granted," the source said.

 

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Wednesday May 16, 2018 - Skripal still holds Russian citizenship, has right to see Russian consul, says diplomat
Skripal still holds Russian citizenship, has right to see Russian consul, says diplomat

The Russian Foreign Ministry is not satisfied with the statements by British officials about Sergei and Yulia Skripal allegedly refusing to speak to the Russian side.

Sergei Skripal has not forfeited his Russian citizenship, nor did he renounce it and has the right to communicate with the Russian consul, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced at Wednesday’s press briefing.

"Sergei Skripal did not lose Russian citizenship and, as we understand, did not renounce it. He has every right to communicate with Russian consuls, just as Russia has every right to communicate with him," she emphasized.

Zakharova stressed that the Russian Foreign Ministry is not satisfied with the statements by British officials about Sergei and Yulia Skripal allegedly refusing to speak to the Russian side and refusing medical help from Russian medical specialists.

"If they [the Skripals] do not need our help, the British side should let them state that in person. Given the current conditions, we have to qualify the situation as forcible detention or even abduction of two of our citizens by British officials. Actions such as these by the UK constitute a serious violation of bilateral agreements," the spokeswoman emphasized. She also noted that Russia would carry on its efforts to establish direct contact with the Skripals via the London embassy.

 

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19.05.2018 - Deadly A234? Two Guinea Pigs, a Cat the Only Casualties in the Skripal Case
Deadly A234? Two Guinea Pigs, a Cat the Only Casualties in the Skripal Case

Maintenance of the Western bloc's fake unity at the expense of ostracizing others, most notably Russia, China and Iran, does not really work, Professor Vladimir Golstein told Sputnik, commenting on the fading hysteria over the Skripal case and the severe tests that US President Donald Trump is ruthlessly subjecting his European allies to.

With former spook Sergei Skripal being discharged from Salisbury hospital on May 18, two guinea pigs and a cat which belonged to the ex-spy and died after they were sealed off for investigation have become the only casualties of the Salisbury poisoning incident.

The investigation into the case continues, still shedding no light on what actually happened on March 4, when Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious on a bench near a Salisbury shopping mall. The poisonous substance the two had been allegedly attacked with has also become a subject of lively debate.

However, from the outset, Russia was singled out by the British government as the only possible culprit behind the alleged attack.

Muddy Waters of Russophobia

It is hardly surprising, says Vladimir Golstein, associate professor of Slavic Studies at Brown University: "As good politicians, British Tories seem be following the rule number one of international politics: 'Whatever happens in the world, blame Russians'."

"I am sure there were plenty of fish to catch in the muddy waters of Russophobia," the American academic told Sputnik. "Tories could ingratiate themselves back to EU, or demonstrate to Washington Consensus that they are part of its New World Order anti-Trump alliance, or use relatively sane and cautious remarks of the Labor leader to score some points against the opposition, or divert the attention from some other pressing domestic or international problems — but they clearly sensed the opportunity to be exploited from Skripal's illness caused by some sort of poisoning, and went at it with full energy of incompetent dilettantes."

Playing directly into their hands, "the British press has always been there to beat the war drum and start another round of jingoism," the professor noted, adding that there were also those who pointed to obvious discrepancies in "this highly inconclusive and unconvincing narrative."

"Consequently, the story of evil Russians trying to kill their former agent practically died out," Golstein stressed. "Luckily for the ruling British class, which is very conscious of its need to constantly feed the masses with bread and circus, a great pageantry came along: royal wedding. The Skripals are conveniently forgotten."

The professor noted that one can only hope that eventually the truth about the cause of the Skripals sudden illness will come out, or "it might end up being one of those classic British stories in the manner of Jack the Ripper, generating plenty of novels and films in the years to come," he remarked wittily.

The Skripals' Recovery: Nothing Short of a Miracle

Observers are racking their brains about how Sergei and Yulia Skripal have managed to recover after being exposed to A234, which was described by The Financial Times' interlocutor Gary Stephens, a pharmacology expert at the University of Reading, as being "a more dangerous and sophisticated agent than sarin or VX and is harder to identify."

Speaking to Sputnik, Leonid Rink, one of the developers of the A234 nerve agent group, dubbed "Novichok" in the West, noted that just 50-100 grams of A234 could have killed all living things in Salisbury.

The other factor prompting Rink's skepticism was the report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) saying that a toxic compound related to the Skripal poisoning was of "high purity," which, according to the expert, was impossible, given the agent's high volatility.

Explaining the miracle of Sergei and Yulia's relatively rapid recovery, the Salisbury district hospital said it was the result of "the hard work, skill and professionalism of our clinicians, who provide outstanding care to all our patients, day in and day out."

However, as President Vladimir Putin noted on May 18 during a joint press-conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel: "God give [Sergei Skripal] good health… if a military-grade poison had been used, the man would have died on the spot."

The Russian president reiterated that Moscow is ready to provide its assistance to British counterparts in the Salisbury poisoning case investigation.

Trump's Withdrawal Spree Puts Transatlantic Alliance to the Test

Meanwhile, the UK and other European major states are being drastically tested by US President Trump, who has gone on a withdrawal spree by threatening to pull out of Syria as quick as possible and then actually leaving the Iran nuclear deal.

"I am not sure, that either France or Britain would be able to operate in Syria without the US support," Golstein said, expressing doubts regarding the sincerity of Washington's intention to leave the Syrian war theater.

He noted that "it is absolutely clear, that the comprehensive diplomatic talks that would involve NATO countries, Iran, Israel, Russia and Syria, are the only way to resolve the continuous suffering of Syrian people."

"It is also worth stressing at this moment that 'the times they are a-changing,' and that the West, while still maintaining its economic and military power, has lost its ability to dominate the world of news, information, and narratives," the American professor opined. "Thanks to the internet and modern technology, the facts are not as easily suppressible by the dominant discourse, as they used to be. Russia, among other players, has finally understood that what matters, is not the power of sword or gold, but the power of ideas, facts, integrity, and good will."

The academic noted that "we are witnessing a world that no longer depends on the Western hysterics, decrying this or that outrageous attack in Syria, while attributing it to 'evil [Bashar] Assad'."

While Israel or the US can still conduct unprovoked attacks on Syrian territory, these attacks are getting less and less support, Golstein pointed out, commenting on the April 14 joint missile attack on Syria conducted by the US, France and the UK and a series of strikes on Syrian territory carried out by Israel in recent months.

"They reveal one more time, that the resort to violence is actually the sign of weakness, the sign of strength is to get engaged in constructive diplomacy," he emphasized.

Why Not Finally Start Thinking Globally?

Trump's decision to pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, has sent crude prices high: This week the Brent crude has broken the ceiling of $80 per barrel. Although it fell to $78.5 p/b on Saturday, the trend has given the shivers to global investors.

It appears that Trump is involuntarily playing directly into Russia's hands, which is obviously interested in the recent hike, while at the same punishing his European allies.

"Recent events have shown us that the fake unity of some countries (EU and NATO alliances come to mind) — at the expense of excluding, maligning, and ostracizing others — does not really work," Golstein said, commenting on the paradoxical situation.

He pointed out that if one takes a look at some "temporary military alliances — like NATO vs. the Warsaw Pact, they might have made some sense." "There was real rivalry and real dangers coming from each block, and therefore there was a need of forming an alliance," Golstein elaborated, adding that a lot has changed since then.

"While the whole planet faces the issues of climate, overpopulation, rational use of resources, possibility of nuclear annihilation, it is rather humorous to watch the EU pontificating on sanctions, delivering empty speeches of indignation, while carrying out orders of the infantile regime from across the ocean," he said.

"Why not finally start thinking globally?" the professor asked, "Why exclude Russia and Iran, why not join China in its plans of One Belt One Road (OBOR)?"

All in all, endless military actions and provocations bring far less dividends than development and collaboration: "There are millions of Russians, Iranians, Chinese, Indians, who want to travel, trade, get engaged in all kinds of beneficial cooperation," he underscored.

"Yet, McCain-like paranoia prevents the world from really entering the XXI century. And the issue is not Trump, as some Europeans or Americans want to believe. The issue is that the current leadership in both Europe and America are actually failing to deliver. They are not serving their own population's interests. They are playing high-school games, while the world faces serious, grown-up problems," the academic concluded.

The views and opinions expressed by Vladimir Golstein and Ekaterina Blinova are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.


19.05.2018 - Skripal Case No Longer the Case: How Russia May Turn into EU's Darling Soon
Skripal Case No Longer the Case: How Russia May Turn Into EU's Darling Soon

Former spy Sergei Skripal was discharged from Salisbury hospital on May 18. Speaking to Sputnik, Adam Garrie, director at Eurasia Future, opined that the British inquiry into the Skripals’ poisoning will end up with nothing to show and explained why Europe could soon ease anti-Russian sanctions and open its markets to China.

No matter how much London wants to use the Skripal case as a stick to beat Russia with, it needs Moscow in its upcoming fight for the Iran nuclear deal abandoned by Donald Trump on May 8, Adam Garrie, a geopolitical analyst and director at Eurasia Future, opined.
"Now Europe will have to work with both Russia and China if it is serious about preserving the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal), Europe (including Britain) may need to relax sanctions in a meaningful way because the JCPOA cannot be saved by Europe alone. Europe will need to work with Russia and China and this means dropping sanctions against Russia and opening up EU markets to China," the analyst told Sputnik.

On May 17, Prime Minister Theresa May met Chancellor Merkel of Germany and President Macron of France in Sofia. The three "reiterated their firm commitment to ensuring the deal is upheld" and "pledged to work with the remaining parties to the deal to this end."

Safe and Sound: Sergei Skripal Released From Hospital
The next day, former spy Sergei Skripal, who was allegedly attacked in Salisbury, England with the A-234 nerve agent on March 4 along with his daughter Yulia, was discharged from hospital. Earlier, Yulia and Nick Bailey, the police officer who was also exposed to the poisonous substance, left the Salisbury hospital.

"In the interests of Sergei and Yulia's safety, we will not be discussing any protective or security arrangements that are in place," a Scotland Yard spokesman said Friday.

The mysterious poisoning of the Skripals prompted a diplomatic row between the UK and Russia, since London rushed to blame Moscow for the incident. The UK leadership insisted that the two was poisoned by "Novichok," the other name for the poisonous substance, referring to the A230 (A232, A234) series of nerve agents developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

Since the collapse of the USSR, the formulas of the group of agents have been no secret for the international community: As it turned out, Czech and German scientists have had their hands on the substance, among others.

So, following London's logic, one could easily blame Berlin for a string of deadly sarin attacks in Syria by citing the fact that the highly toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound was discovered by German scientists at IG Farben in 1938.

However, Porton Down specialists hammered the final nail in the coffin of the British arguments by stating that they couldn't identify the poison's origin.

"The UK was never interested in a rational approach to finding out what happened in Salisbury," Garrie underscored. "They were interested in a ready-made infowar for the fast food generation with the more important benefit of having an excuse to renew old sanctions and pass new ones."

The geopolitical analyst noted that neither was it surprising that no British mainstream media resource challenged London's dubious reasoning: "The fact that none of the UK mainstream media said anything either, shows that journalism in the mainstream media today is about merely reporting on what government officials say rather than analyzing why they are saying it and even more importantly investigating what they don't say."

According to Garrie, the Skripal case is yet another page in the Western anti-Russia sanctions saga. The crux of the matter is that "the sanctions against Russia have helped prop up a Western US-based financial industry that is under serious threat from the multipolar world."

"However, the strategy behind this was very short-sighted," the analyst highlighted. "All it has ultimately done is convince countries like Russia, Iran, Turkey, China, Venezuela and many others to abandon Western financial institutions, trade in their own currencies and look to China as a far more rational economic superpower than the United States."

He opined that "Russia's CryptoRuble which is set to come out is a further sign of Russia embracing the power of technology to create means of transactions that do not rely on Western institutions."

"Furthermore, sanctions have made Russia's agricultural industry 'great again,' something which many opposition politicians in Russia had wanted for years, particularly those in the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF)."

UK's Skripal Narrative: 'The Most Uncreative Act of Fiction in Recent Memory'

Although the investigation into the Skripals' poisoning is still going on, Garrie believes that "it will end up with nothing to show."

The analyst explained that "the entire canard was designed to accomplish three things in the immediate term": "First, to distract from Russia's role in helping Syria to defeat Takfiri terrorism; second, to distract from the reality that Russia was about to hold the 2018 presidential election where, as widely expected by anyone who follows Russian politics, the incumbent won with a large majority; third, to discourage Europeans from travelling to Russia for the World Cup by portraying Russian people and the Russian state as somehow sinister."

However, he explained that "in a day and age where the 'Russia narrative' is so over-saturated, most people who care to follow the narrative have made up their mind already." Therefore, the Skripal case has not changed anything in a meaningful way.

Most people in Europe and North America care more about their jobs, wages, sports and prices, rather than geopolitics, he remarked, adding that the fuss around Russia has produced an unintended outcome: "Of those who do follow the 'Russia narrative', many previously ambivalent people in the US, UK, France etc., have actually become more, rather than less, fond of Russia."

On the other hand, Garrie continued, the UK government is struggling to divert the public's attention from Brexit as well as grave economic and social problems at home.

"I'm sure a good fiction writer could come up with something novel to distract from these terrible scandals, but since the UK government can't seem to find such an author, they've merely gone back to demonizing Russia. It's the most uncreative act of fiction in recent memory," he said.

What Haunts the Old Imperial Powers in Syria

At the same time, not everything is rosy for the UK leadership in Syria, as the Syrian Arab Army is making progress on the ground amid the reports of the alleged military buildup of US, British and French armed forces in northern Syria.

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces have repeatedly drawn the attention of the international community to NATO-made weapons and chemical substances, including those allegedly produced in Porton Down, the UK.

"The entire Western world, with few exceptions, has something to hide in Syria," Garrie underscored. "They have overtly supported Takfiri factions in Syria against a secular, progressive government… When one then realizes how much money and how many weapons these Western governments gave to the Takfiris, the scandal deepens."

The analyst underscored that it was Russia that played a substantial role in defeating Western-backed terrorists in Syria. Therefore, it will be Russian companies that, along with China, Iran and others will rebuild the Arab Republic.

"The Western powers put in a lot of investment into the people they thought would conquer and they got no return on that investment. No wonder they are so cross with Russia," he said.

In addition, "Russia's Mediterranean base in Tartus is not going anywhere and this scares a British state that throughout the 19th century exploited Turkey and forced it to fight Russia multiple times in order to try and box Russia into the Black Sea. Now Turkey and Russia are partners and Russia's warm water Mediterranean base will continue to haunt the old imperial powers who never wanted Russian soldiers to wash their feet in the warm waters of the south."

The views and opinions expressed by Adam Garrie and Ekaterina Blinova are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.

 

[angelburst29]

22.05.2018 - Ex-Spy Skripal's Mother Asks UK on Russian TV to Let Her Talk To Son
Ex-Spy Skripal's Mother Asks UK on Russian TV to Let Her Talk to Son

A frail elderly lady who presented herself as the mother of a former Russian intelligence officer, who was allegedly poisoned in England in March, made a public appeal requesting to be allowed to talk to her son.

A 90-year-old woman, who identified herself as the mother of Sergei Skripal, made an appearance on Russian state television, pleading that the British authorities let her speak with her son via phone – something that she effectively still hasn't been allowed to do.

"I haven’t seen my son for 14 years. I want to meet him, to hug my son tightly. I’m ninety years old, I pose no threat to anyone. Please, let me make at least one phone call to my son," she said.

"I haven’t seen my son for 14 years. I want to meet him, to hug my son tightly. I’m ninety years old, I pose no threat to anyone. Please, let me make at least one phone call to my son," she said.

The woman added that she simply couldn't comprehend why her son wasn't allowed to contact her.

Why won’t they let him call me? Why? For what reason? When he was at home, we talked with each other [by phone] every week, but now we can’t for some reason. Please, grant him permission so that he and I could talk."
She also asked the British authorities to allow Viktoria Skripal, Sergei’s niece, to visit him.

"I cry every day as I wait for a message from my son," the elderly lady said, sobbing.

Despite the claim, there have been no official comments from the UK authorities or media reports confirming that Skripal’s mother previously asked London to talk with her son on the phone.

On May 18 the British National Health Service announced that Sergei Skripal has been discharged from Salisbury District Hospital.

The exact whereabouts and the fate of Sergei and Yulia, who were released from hospital on April 11, are currently unknown.

 

[angelburst29]

23.05.2018 - Moscow Concerned Over Yulia Skripal's Treatment as her 1st Interview Released
Moscow Concerned Over Yulia Skripal's Treatment as Her 1st Interview Released

Yulia Skripal, who has claimed to have been poisoned by Russia, together with her father Sergei Skripal, gave an interview to Reuters, according to a video released by the agency on Wednesday.

The Russian embassy in the United Kingdom commented on the interview of Yulia Skripal to Reuters, who made her first media appearance since the poisoning. The embassy still suspects Yulis Skripal is kept in Britain against her will, insisting yet again that the Russian consulate officials should be provided direct access to her.

"The United Kingdom has a responsibility to give us the opportunity to communicate directly with Yulia to make sure that she is not kept [in the UK] against her will and does not make statements under pressure. So far we have every reason to suspect the opposite," a representative of the Russian embassy in the UK told reporters.

The embassy believes the text she read during her first interview after the poisoning, was originally written in English.

Clearly, Yulia read out the pre-written text. Moreover, judging by a number of expressions, it was a translation from English, and the original was written by a native speaker. The published in two languages Julia's handwritten letters prove this impression," the embassy official said.

Yulia's Interview
According to the interview released by the news agency, Yulia expressed gratitude to the Russian Embassy in the UK, which had offered her assistance, but explained that she "doesn't wish to avail herself of their services."

"I'm grateful for the offers of assistance from the Russian Embassy. But at the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services. Also, I want to reiterate what I said in my earlier statement, that no one speaks for me, or for my father but ourselves," she said.

Yulia Skripal Hopes to Return to Russia
Nevertheless, Yulia, who is a Russian citizen, stressed that "in the longer term she hoped to return to her country."

"As I try to come to terms with the devastating changes thrust upon me both physically and emotionally, I take one day at a time and want to help care for my dad till his full recovery. In the longer term I hope to return home to my country," Yulia told the Reuters news agency.

© REUTERS / Handout
A scan of a signed handwritten statement in English by Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in Salisbury along with her father, Russian spy Sergei Skripal, is seen in London.

Yulia further stated, as quoted by the media agency, that she and Sergei Skripal "were lucky to survive an attempted assassination", adding that she was shocked that a nerve agent was used to attack her and her father. Yulia described her medical treatment following the attack as "invasive, painful and depressing."

"My life has been turned upside down. … I am grateful to all of the wonderful, kind staff at Salisbury hospital, a place I have become all too familiar with. I also think fondly of those who helped us on the street on the day of the attack," she added.

"I came to the UK on the 3rd of March to visit my father, something I have done regularly in the past. After 20 days in a coma, I woke to the news that we had both been poisoned," she told reporters.

The daughter of a former Russian intelligence officer, who later moved to the UK and had been cooperating with MI6, has underlined that she and her father should be provided privacy and time to recover.

"I wish to address a couple of issues directly and have chosen to interrupt my rehabilitation to make this short statement. I ask that everyone respects the privacy of me and my father. We need time to recover and come to terms with everything that has happened," she stated.

Yulia reiterated her earlier statement, saying that "no one speaks for me, or for my father, but ourselves."

Skripals' Poisoning, Accusations Against Russia
Sergei Skripal, a former GRU colonel, and his daughter Yulia were found in Salisbury, the UK, on March 4 after supposedly being exposed to a toxic agent.

The UK claimed that it was "highly likely" that Moscow was behind the incident and reacted by expelling 23 Russian diplomats. Britain has never provided any substantial proof of Moscow's involvement.

Russia, in its turn, categorically refutes the UK's allegations, with the Kremlin calling Britain's hostile steps a provocation that was initiated in order to trigger a Russophobic wave in the international community.


23.05.2018 - Viktoria SKripal Believes Yulia's First Video Address Made Under Pressure
Viktoria Skripal Believes Yulia's First Video Address Made Under Pressure

Viktoria Skripal, the niece of the former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, who was poisoned in the United Kingdom believes that the filmed statement of her cousin Yulia has been recorded under pressure, Viktoria's husband Arseniy Elifantyev told Sputnik Wednesday.

"I have not seen the video but Viktoria has. According to her, it can be seen clearly that she [Yulia] was speaking under pressure and that her text was read out," Elifantyev said.

Earlier in the day, Yulia Skripal made her first media appearance since the March incident. Skripal told Reuters in an exclusive statement that she hoped to return to Russia "in the longer term." The media outlet said that it was contacted by Yulia, who was speaking from a secret location in London, via the UK police.

Meanwhile, Russian Embassy in the UK also expressed concerns over Yulia Skripal's confinement conditions. The embassy pointed out that Skripal's statement did not discharge the British authorities from their obligation under Consular Conventions to provide the Russian diplomats with the opportunity to speak to Yulia directly "in order to make sure that she is not held against her own will and is not speaking under pressure."

"So far, we have every reason to suspect the opposite," the embassy said on Wednesday.


23.05.2018 - Twitter Brings Scar on Yulia Skripal's Neck Into Spotlight After First Interview
Twitter Brings Scar on Yulia Skripal's Neck Into Spotlight After First Interview

Yulia Skripal, who was allegedly poisoned with a nerve agent, namely Novichok, in Salisbury, the UK, in early March, has had her first media appearance.

After her interview with Reuters, in which she expressed gratitude to all those who assisted and supported her as well as detailed her treatment in Salisbury hospital, social media started sharing fresh pictures. Some users, although expressing their delight about Yulia looking healthy, couldn’t help noticing a scar on her neck. They wondered whether it is the nerve agent that prompted a surprising surgery:


*Qoppa* @Qoppa999

Yulia Skripal finally gives an interview to Reuters (in essence echoing the written statement from April):https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-russia-skripal-yulia-exclusiv/exclusive-yulia-skripal-attempted-assassination-turned-my-world-upside-down-idUSKCN1IO2LT …

I always suspected Novichok to be a very special nerve agent: apparently prompting surgery at or below the larynx!?!
Any medical explanation?
1:55 PM - May 23, 2018


Charles Shoebridge @ShoebridgeC
Note in her ‘interview’ that Yulia #Skripal doesn’t answer any questions, and that @Reuters has now deleted from the original article its earlier reference to a scar on her neck (NB possibly from her hospital treatment), but which is still visible in photohttps://twitter.com/shoebridgec/status/999334277023223809 …
1:49 PM - May 23, 2018

He further went on to ponder what the US and UK media reaction would be like if they saw a missing citizen speaking from "Russia, Syria or Iran":

The statement of Yuliya #Skripal may be entirely genuine. But if such similarly rehearsed words had been said in a similar way by a disappeared US or UK citizen in eg Russia, Syria or Iran, US UK media would very quickly claim they’d been said under duresspic.twitter.com/ekmCNwbCMn
— Charles Shoebridge (@ShoebridgeC) 23 мая 2018 г.​

Another Twitter pointed to Yulia looking relaxed: (Photo)

Some retold what the British authorities earlier said about the Skripals being located to a safer place, adding the statement appeared to be way too exaggerated given what Yulia said in an interview today: (Photo)


Devutopia @D_Raval

Tory Government: Skripal’s won’t be safe, will need to relocate to a new country with new identities.
Yulia #Skripal on first interview says wants to return home to Russia after she finishes looking after her dad.
You decide if the Tories had totally over hyped this...
12:46 PM - May 23, 2018

One user rushed to call to stop placing Yulia Skripal's figure in the center of a political competition:


Michael Topic @tropicalontour

I’d like people to treat Yulia Skripal like a human being that is in the middle of something dreadful, rather than a political football to score talking points with.
2:04 PM - May 23, 2018

Some, meanwhile, have transferred the debate into a satirical domain:


Rachael Swindon @Rachael_Swindon

Yulia Skripal has said she wants to return home to Russia, which according to Theresa May, is the country that tried to assassinate her, and her father, using one of the deadliest military grade poisons known to mankind.

If only we could all be as forgiving as Yukia.
1:40 PM - May 23, 2018


23.05.2018 - Moscow Not Ruling Out UK Authorities Holding Skripals Against Their Will
Moscow Not Ruling Out UK Authorities Holding Skripals Against Their Will

Former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal was discharged from a Salisbury hospital on May 18, however, since then there has been no information on his subsequent fate.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated that there was a possibility that Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia are being held by the UK authorities against their will.

"For almost two months, Russia has not been given access to Russian citizens — it's a fact. The second fact is that Russian citizens, in one way or another, are being kept in the UK from contacts, possibly by force, in an unknown place and in an unknown state," she said.

The spokeswoman did not rule out that the Skripals were also being kept from contacting the media.

We have no idea about their condition. Nothing has prevented London from giving Russian representatives access to Russian citizens," Zakharova noted.

Sergei Skripal was discharged from the hospital, where he was undergoing medical treatment after an alleged poisoning, on May 18. His daughter Yulia left the hospital in the British city of Salisbury in mid-April. Nevertheless, the Russian Foreign Ministry has not been given an opportunity to talk to the Skripals, despite Yulia Skripal being a Russian national.

 

[angelburst29]

May 23, 2018 - Exclusive: Yulia Skripal - Attempted Assassination turned My World Upside Down
Exclusive: Yulia Skripal - Attempted assassination turned my world...

LONDON (Reuters) - Yulia Skripal survived an assassination attempt that UK authorities blame on Russia. But the daughter of one of Russia’s most famous spies says she wants to return to her country “in the longer term”, despite the poisoning.

Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in Salisbury along with her father, Russian spy Sergei Skripal, speaks to Reuters in London, Britain, May 23, 2018. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

'Lucky to be alive' says Yulia Skripal in first interview

(1:20 min.)


URGENT: Yulia Skripal gives first media interview since Salisbury Poisoning

(2:57 min.)


Russian News:
МОЛНИЯ! Юлия Скрипаль дала ПЕРВОЕ интервью после выздоровления!

(4:45 min.)

 

[luc]

Statement from the Russian embassy in London:

23.05.2018
Embassy Press Officer comments on Yulia Skripal’s video address

We are glad to have seen Yulia Skripal alive and well. The statement she read out contains new information. However, the video shown only strengthens our concerns as to the conditions in which she is being held. Obviously, Yulia was reading a pre-written text. More than that, judging by quite a few elements, the text was a translation from English and had been initially written by a native English-speaker. The handwritten letters signed by Yulia in Russian and English confirm this impression.

With all respect for Yulia’s privacy and security, this video does not discharge the UK authorities from their obligations under Consular Conventions. The UK is obliged to give us the opportunity to speak to Yulia directly in order to make sure that she is not held against her own will and is not speaking under pressure. So far, we have every reason to suspect the opposite.

 

[angelburst29]

24.05.2018 - UK Prime Minister Thanks Belgian Counterpart for Solidarity Over Skripal Case
UK Prime Minister Thanks Belgian Counterpart for Solidarity Over Skripal Case

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has thanked her Belgian counterpart Charles Michel for the solidarity expressed by Brussels following the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in the British town of Salisbury, the UK governmental press service said in a statement.

"They agreed that it was vital to restore the international norm that the use of chemical weapons can never be acceptable. The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Michel for the solidarity shown by Belgium following the chemical attack in Salisbury," the statement said on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the two politicians also discussed Moscow-related issues, such as Russia's "destabilizing activity in Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere" and agreed on the need to provide an international response to these alleged activities.

On Wednesday, the two prime ministers met in London and discussed a number of issues, such as the Brexit process, the Iran nuclear deal, and the poisoning of the Skripals.


24.05.2018 - Russia Not Sure Whether Yulia Skripal Makes Statements Willingly - Moscow
Russia Not Sure Whether Yulia Skripal Makes Statements Willingly – Moscow

Russia is not sure whether Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned alongside her father, has made statements under pressure or of her own free will, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

"Until now, the UK side has not complied with the Vienna Convention. Up to this point, Russia has not been provided with consular access to Yulia Skripal. We cannot be completely sure about her condition, whether there is any pressure on her, whether she made the statements of her own free will," Peskov said in an interview with the NTV broadcaster on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Commenting on the situation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has all grounds not to believe in the authenticity of the video address of Yulia Skripal.

"We do not have any grounds to trust it and believe it. We still do not know what state Yulia Skripal is in, we do not know whether she made these statements on her own initiative or under pressure, we do not know where she is, in what conditions, who undertakes whatever actions regarding her, whether her rights are respected," Peskov said.


Thu May 24, 2018 - Embassy: Russian Diplomats Must Be Allowed Access to Yulia Skripal to Know She’s Not Held Forcibly
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970303000140

Russia’s Embassy urged Britain to give direct access to Yulia Skripal after the release of her first interview since the Salisbury attack, since there are doubts that she has been held against her will or forced to make statements.

We are glad to have seen Yulia Skripal alive and well,” the Russian Embassy in the UK said in a statement, adding that “however, the video shown only strengthens our concerns as to the conditions in which she is being held”, RT reported.
While the release of Yulia’s interview is most welcome, it “does not discharge the UK authorities from their obligations under Consular Conventions,” Russia’s Embassy reminded.

“The UK is obliged to give us the opportunity to speak to Yulia directly in order to make sure that she is not held against her own will and is not speaking under pressure. So far, we have every reason to suspect the opposite,” the statement read.

Yulia’s speech during the interview and the written statements in Russian and English she signed have raised multiple questions with Russian diplomats.

“Judging by quite a few elements, the text was a translation from English and had been initially written by a native English-speaker,” the embassy said, adding that “the handwritten letters signed by Yulia in Russian and English confirm this impression”.

In her first video appearance since the attack, Skripal said she was “grateful” for the offers of assistance from the Russian Embassy, “but at the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services”. She gave a written and video statement to Reuters from an undisclosed location in UK where she says she's recovering after 20 days in coma following the attack.

The Russian Embassy has not been alone in its suspicions that Skripal could have given her interview under duress. The same impression has been shared by many on Twitter, including security analyst and former UK counterterrorism intelligence officer Charles Shoebridge. Others pointed to the apparent discrepancy between the UK’s claims that Russia sought to assassinate the Skripals and Yulia’s wish to return to Russia.

"I still find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that both of us were attacked. We are so lucky to have both survived this attempted assassination. Our recovery has been slow and extremely painful,” she said, adding that "the fact that a nerve agent was used to do this is shocking. I don't want to describe the details but the clinical treatment was invasive, painful and depressing”.

Skripal stated that the ordeal had turned her life “upside down,” both “physically and emotionally”. She stressed that she was now focused on helping her father to make a full recovery, and that “in the long term I hope to return home to my country".


24.05.2018 - Russia has all grounds to mistrust Yulia Skripal’s video address — Kremlin
Russia has all grounds to mistrust Yulia Skripal’s video address — Kremlin

Skripal earlier made a video address in which she stated her unwillingness to use the help offered by the Russian Embassy to the UK.

Russia’s authorities, which have no consular access to Yulia Skripal, who was allegedly poisoned with her father in a nerve agent attack in the UK in March, have all grounds not to trust her video address, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

"We have all grounds not to trust this and believe this," Peskov said. "We still don’t know the condition of Yulia Skripal, we don’t know if she made these statements upon her own will or under pressure. We don’t know where she is, in which conditions, with whom, what steps are taken against her, how her rights are ensured and whether she is legally capable," Peskov said.

"That’s why in general, taking into account that this is a rather unprecedented provocation, which London carried out against Russia, we still mistrust this and we have all grounds for that," he stressed.