Salisbury poisoning: US, France, Germany and Canada back UK on Novichok assessment
US, France, Germany and Canada have issued a joint statement, saying they agree with UK that Russian government "almost certainly" approved Salisbury poisoning.
The statement, issued via the UK government, said leaders of some of the closest allies had "full confidence in the British assessment" that the two suspects were officers of the Russian military unit the GRU, as declared by Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday during a lengthy Commons appearance.
"We have already taken action together to disrupt the activities of the GRU through the largest ever collective expulsion of undeclared intelligence officers," the statement added.
"Yesterday’s announcement further strengthens our intent to continue to disrupt together the hostile activities of foreign intelligence networks on our territories, uphold the prohibition of chemical weapons, protect our citizens and defend ourselves from all forms of malign state activity directed against us and our societies."
May yesterday said the men, named as Russian nationals Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, were part of a operation that went to the upper levels of the Kremlin.
"The GRU is a highly disciplined organisation with a well-established chain of command," she said. "This was not a rogue operation. It was almost certainly also approved at a senior level of the Russian state."
Salisbury MP and City minister John Glen vowed to ramp up efforts to tackle dirty money in the Square Mile, telling Morning Wire there was "absolutely no place for these people, or their money, in our country or our financial system".