Evidence before solidarity: German official blasts UK, allies for blaming Russia in Skripal case
Posted on April 4th, 2018

Courtesy RT

The minister president of Germany’s most populous state has lambasted the UK for prematurely pinning the blame for the Skripal poisoning case on Russia, writing that you need sound evidence” before asking allies for solidarity.

Armin Laschet, the leader of North Rhine-Westphalia and a deputy chairman of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), took to Twitter after the UK’s Porton Down government laboratory announced on Tuesday that it could not link nerve agent samples it had collected to Russia.

If you force almost all NATO countries to show solidarity, shouldn’t you have sound evidence?” Laschet said. You can think of Russia what you want, but I have learned a different way of dealing with states from studying international law.”

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson previously said that scientists at Porton Down were categorical” about the Russian origin of the nerve agent allegedly used in the March 4 attack against Sergei Skripal, a former double agent, and his daughter in Salisbury. As part of a coordinated show of solidarity with the UK over the attack, Germany announced last month that it would expel four Russian diplomats over Moscow’s suspected involvement in the poisoning.

It is clear that there must be consequences. We in the European Union have therefore adopted an unequivocal position and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the United Kingdom,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement announcing the expulsions.

READ MORE: UK Foreign Office denies claiming nerve agent from Russia, despite tweet and Boris Johnson interview

In total, more than 100 Russian diplomats were ordered to leave the European Union and NATO states at the UK’s urging. Russia has denied any involvement in the Skripal poisoning, while also calling on the UK for a joint investigation.

Moscow has also sent a list of 14 questions to the UK Foreign Office regarding the case, but still awaits a response. Another list with questions was sent to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), but Russia’s representative to the body said it has received only one answer so far, which is being evaluated.

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5 Responses to “Evidence before solidarity: German official blasts UK, allies for blaming Russia in Skripal case”

  1. Christie Says:

    If UK cannot provide its double agent due protection …?

  2. Dilrook Says:

    Western legal system is based on ‘innocent until convicted guilty’ but in reality they violate it all the time.

    Western nations need no evidence to condemn another country for crimes. If it is politically beneficial, they do it. WMDs in Iraq, chemical weapon attacks by Syrian regime, Russian involvement in MH-17 shoot down, 2 cases of poisoning in the UK, etc. Nice distraction from Brexit.

    Other countries must also follow this approach. Russia gave USA a dose of their own medicine at the last US presidential election. Since then USA has temporarily suspended regime change operations.

  3. Ananda-USA Says:

    Dilrook,

    You said “Since then USA has temporarily suspended regime change operations.”!

    What EVIDENCE do you have that the USA has “temporarily suspended” regime change operations in other countries??

    I don’t detect such a change; could you help me see it?

  4. Dilrook Says:

    @Ananda

    US interference with pre and post Russian election this year has been very low this time. USA has since toned down the requirement for regime change in Syria in order to deal with the parties. USA has come down. USA had a strangely low intereference (in comparison with the recent past) in Argentina, Egypt, Czech republic, Colombia, etc.

    This lull may not last but until the US gets its own vulnerabilities covered, it will continue this relative but notable redeuction in regime change operations in other countries. Very notable since the recent days of Nuland.

  5. Ratanapala Says:

    All this is happening because of the weakness of Russian and China to face upto these inequities and in the process they are letting down all other countries. They are the only powers on earth today who can face up to the Western Christian Powers. They must do so in the name of humanity.

    Today the Western Christian Countries are emulating what Hitler and Nazis failed to do and successfully too!

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