May: Russia's UK diplomat expulsion does not change Moscow's culpability

Britain鈥檚 Prime Minister Theresa May delivers her speech at the Conservative Party鈥檚 Spring Forum in London on March 17, 2018. (Simon Dawson/POOL/AFP)

LONDON: Russia鈥檚 expulsion of 23 British diplomats 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 change the facts of the matter鈥� of the poisoning of a former double agent in an English city, Prime Minister Theresa May said Saturday.
Russia was 鈥渋n flagrant breach of international law,鈥� she told her Conservative Party鈥檚 spring forum, adding that Britain 鈥渨ill consider our next steps in the coming days.鈥�
鈥淩ussia鈥檚 response doesn鈥檛 change the facts of the matter 鈥� the attempted assassination of two people on British soil, for which there is no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian State was culpable,鈥� she said.
May blames Russia for the nerve agent attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4, which has left them both fighting for their lives.
She warned that Britain 鈥渨ill never tolerate a threat to the life of British citizens and others on British soil from the Russian government.鈥�
But she said Britain had 鈥渘o disagreement with the Russian people.鈥�
Earlier this week, Britain announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspension of high-level contacts over the poisoning.
Moscow responded on Saturday by expelling 23 British diplomats from Moscow in a tit-for-tat measure.
It also said it would halt the activities of the British Council, the country鈥檚 international organization for cultural relations, in Russia.
鈥淲e are profoundly disappointed at this development,鈥� the British Council said in a statement.
鈥淚t is our view that when political or diplomatic relations become difficult, cultural relations and educational opportunities are vital to maintain on-going dialogue between people and institutions.鈥�