Pavel Felgenhauer, RCD: Moscow Surprised by Western Show of Solidarity With Britain
The strong demonstration of Western solidarity with the United Kingdom in response to the March 4 poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England, by a nerve agent known as “Novichok,” secretly developed in the Soviet Union, has apparently caught Moscow by surprise. Some 28 countries, together with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), announced they are expelling over 150 Russian diplomats allegedly connected to Moscow’s intelligence services. Four states—Luxemburg, Malta, Portugal and Slovakia—have recalled their ambassadors from Moscow “for consultations,” in solidarity with Britain, without expelling diplomats. Russian officials angrily denounced the mass expulsions. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has promised a “strong response” and accused Western governments of “blindly yielding to a campaign of colossal pressure and blackmail coming from Washington” (Interfax, March 28).
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WNU editor: They are circling the wagons in Russia .... again. The Russian Foreign Ministry underestimated the reaction .... my guess is that they felt that it would blow over in a few weeks. I also felt the same way. The original explanation from the U.K. that Russia was behind this nerve agent attack did not make sense to me. Why would Russia want to poison an ex-spy who no longer was of value to anyone did not make sense to me. But the U.K. clearly made the case to almost every Western ally who paid attention that Russia was involved .... hence the coordinated expulsions.
At the time I thought the Russians anticipated a fractured response from the west. Britain and the EU at rows over Brexit; Germany at odds with Trump; Trump at odds with the EU; Trump threatening a global trade war could have convinced Putin that now was a good time to humiliate the English. I was surprised by the unity as well. What stood out to me was the response of the US, 60 expulsions after 35 by Obama in 2016. The US expelled more than the EU countries.
ReplyDeleteStill at the end of the day, will the Brits re-arm? Will Germany? I doubt it. Heck Germany approved the Nord Stream 2 just this week so I don't see any major changes to Business as Usual.
WNU Editor: " Why would Russia want to poison an ex-spy who no longer was of value to anyone did not make sense to me. ".
ReplyDeleteThe poisoning wasn't about stopping the flow of secrets. It was about intimidating those still behind the lines from defecting as well. Those who want to do so, now know that they will never be safe for the rest of their lives unless they go to the USA and are put in the witness protection agency. Even then, the defectors will need to be vary careful.