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| Australia expels two Russian diplomats over UK nerve agent attack | Australia expels two Russian diplomats over UK nerve agent attack |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Australia will expel two Russian diplomats as part of global action against Moscow over an alleged nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy living in the UK. | Australia will expel two Russian diplomats as part of global action against Moscow over an alleged nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy living in the UK. |
| The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and the foreign minister, Julie Bishop, issued a joint statement on Tuesday saying two Russian “diplomats” had been identified as undeclared intelligence officers and would be ordered to leave Australia within seven days. | |
| Australia joins more than 20 western countries in expelling more than 100 Russian diplomats alleged to be spies in the wake of the alleged use of a chemical weapon in the attempted murder of a former Russian intelligence official, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury on 4 March. | |
| It is the largest coordinated diplomatic blow to Russian intelligence networks in the west since the cold war. | It is the largest coordinated diplomatic blow to Russian intelligence networks in the west since the cold war. |
| “This decision reflects the shocking nature of the attack – the first offensive use of chemical weapons in Europe since world war II, involving a highly lethal substance in a populated area, endangering countless other members of the community,” Turnbull and Bishop said. | |
| “It takes into account advice from the UK government that the substance used on 4 March was a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. Such an attack cannot be tolerated by any sovereign nation. | “It takes into account advice from the UK government that the substance used on 4 March was a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. Such an attack cannot be tolerated by any sovereign nation. |
| “We strongly support the call on Russia to disclose the full extent of its chemical weapons program in accordance with international law.” | “We strongly support the call on Russia to disclose the full extent of its chemical weapons program in accordance with international law.” |
| Labor’s leader, Bill Shorten, said he supported the decision. | |
| Turnbull and Bishop said the attack was part of a pattern of “reckless and deliberate conduct” by the Russian state that constituted a growing threat to international security, global non-proliferation rules against the use of chemical weapons, the rights of other sovereign nations, and the international rules-based order that underpins them. | Turnbull and Bishop said the attack was part of a pattern of “reckless and deliberate conduct” by the Russian state that constituted a growing threat to international security, global non-proliferation rules against the use of chemical weapons, the rights of other sovereign nations, and the international rules-based order that underpins them. |
| They said Australia had had sanctions in place since 2014 in response to Russia’s threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and Australia was still trying to bring to justice those responsible for the downing of MH17. | They said Australia had had sanctions in place since 2014 in response to Russia’s threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and Australia was still trying to bring to justice those responsible for the downing of MH17. |
| They said Australia would “vigorously back” the UK’s full investigation of the nerve agent attack, and Australia remained committed to acting with its allies and partners to deter Russia’s actions where they were a threat to international security. | |
| The US president, Donald Trump, this week ordered the expulsion of scores of Russian diplomats, which the US identified as intelligence agents, and the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, the most forceful action Trump has taken against Russia to date. | |
| The British prime minister, Theresa May, has already expelled 23 Russian diplomats, among other measures, after saying the Russian state was to blame for the poison attack which left Skripal and his daughter in a critical condition. | |
| The Kremlin has denied any involvement. | |
| As news of the coordinated expulsion of Russian diplomats began to seep out on Monday, Australia continued to monitor the situation, with Bishop’s office saying there was “no change to Australia’s perspective”. | |
| But overnight events, which included Trump ordering the expulsion of 60 diplomats, changed the situation. | |
| Two weeks ago Bishop placed Australia firmly in Britain’s corner in the escalating row, saying Australia believed Russia was either behind the attack or had lost control of its chemical weapons program. But she made no official announcement at the time about Australia’s likely response. | |
| “There is no other explanation, no other plausible explanation, as to where this nerve agent came from,” Bishop told the ABC two weeks ago. “Either Russia was behind the attempted assassination of it has lost control of this previously undisclosed stockpile of nerve agent.” | “There is no other explanation, no other plausible explanation, as to where this nerve agent came from,” Bishop told the ABC two weeks ago. “Either Russia was behind the attempted assassination of it has lost control of this previously undisclosed stockpile of nerve agent.” |
| Bishop said then that Australia would support the UK in any move to send weapons inspectors into Russia to view its program, given Russia’s 1997 signature on the chemical weapons convention. | |
| “Under the chemical weapons convention, one state that suspects another state of having illegal chemical weapons can seek these inspections and Britain certainly has the right to do that, and they are aware that we would support them, should they go down that path,” she said. | “Under the chemical weapons convention, one state that suspects another state of having illegal chemical weapons can seek these inspections and Britain certainly has the right to do that, and they are aware that we would support them, should they go down that path,” she said. |
| “This is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue. One cannot have a permanent member of the security council, or indeed any country anywhere, any time, deploying illegal chemical weapons, and so clearly Britain is within its rights to take action, as it has done with expelling diplomats. | “This is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue. One cannot have a permanent member of the security council, or indeed any country anywhere, any time, deploying illegal chemical weapons, and so clearly Britain is within its rights to take action, as it has done with expelling diplomats. |
| “I have been in constant communication with [UK] foreign secretary Boris Johnson and Australia is most certainly considering what other options might be available.” | “I have been in constant communication with [UK] foreign secretary Boris Johnson and Australia is most certainly considering what other options might be available.” |
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