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Russian spy: Chemical watchdog to meet at Russia's request Russian spy: UK brands offer of joint inquiry 'perverse'
(about 7 hours later)
The world's chemical weapons watchdog is to meet in the Hague and discuss the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in the UK. The UK has described as "perverse" a Russian proposal for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in England last month.
The emergency session was called by Russia, who denies being behind the attack and wants the UK to share evidence. The comment came from the UK team as it attended an emergency meeting of the international chemical weapons watchdog, the OPCW, on the issue.
But the UK government says the only "plausible explanation" is that Russia is to blame. Russia, which called the meeting, wants the UK to share evidence.
The incident has sparked a deep diplomatic rift. The UK says Russia was almost certainly to blame for the attack but Moscow denies any involvement.
On Tuesday the UK's Porton Down laboratory said it could not verify the precise source of the nerve agent used against Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The British government says a military-grade Novichok nerve agent of a type developed by Russia was used in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, southern England, on 4 March.
The laboratory, which has previously identified the substance as a military-grade Novichok nerve agent, said it was likely to have been deployed by a "state actor" but said it was not their job to say where it was manufactured. The incident has caused a major diplomatic fallout, with the expulsion of about 130 Russian diplomats by the UK and its allies being met by counter-expulsions by Moscow.
Porton Down's chief executive Gary Aitkenhead dismissed Russian claims it might have come from the UK military laboratory. What is the OPCW meeting about?
The UK says further intelligence led to its belief that Russia was responsible. As a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Russia has the right to request an emergency meeting of the body and it is taking place at The Hague.
What is the meeting about?
As a member of the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Russia has the right to request an emergency meeting of the body.
Among other things, it wants to know what kind of evidence the UK has provided to the OPCW, which inspectors visited the site of the attack in Salisbury, who they met and where the samples are being analysed.Among other things, it wants to know what kind of evidence the UK has provided to the OPCW, which inspectors visited the site of the attack in Salisbury, who they met and where the samples are being analysed.
Speaking in Turkey, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that while Moscow hoped to draw a line under the affair, it would still play a role in the inquiry into what happened. But its offer of a joint investigation was dismissed by the UK.
However, the UK Foreign Office has called the meeting a "diversionary tactic, intended to undermine the work of the OPCW in reaching a conclusion". In a tweet, the UK team at The Hague said: "Russia's proposal for a joint, UK/Russian investigation into the Salisbury incident is perverse.
"There is no requirement in the chemical weapons convention for the victim of a chemical weapons attack to engage in a joint investigation with the likely perpetrator," a spokesman said. "It is a diversionary tactic, and yet more disinformation designed to evade the questions the Russian authorities must answer."
The OPCW expects to receive the results of its own independent laboratory tests within a week.The OPCW expects to receive the results of its own independent laboratory tests within a week.
It does not have the power to attribute blame, but it could ask the Kremlin to grant their inspectors access to former Soviet Union production facilities to check all of their chemical weapons stockpiles have been destroyed. It does not have the power to attribute blame, but it could ask the Kremlin to grant its inspectors access to former Soviet Union production facilities to check all of their chemical weapons stockpiles have been destroyed.
What happened in Salisbury? Earlier, Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin said in Moscow that the poisoning was a "grotesque provocation... that was crudely concocted by the British and American security services" to implicate Russia.
Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were attacked with the nerve agent on 4 March. "It is appropriate to say that the dark times of the Cold War are back," he said.
The BBC understands Miss Skripal, 33, is now conscious and talking. Salisbury District Hospital has said her father, 66, remained critically ill but stable. What do we know of the substance used in Salisbury?
The UK's Porton Down laboratory says it cannot verify the precise source of the nerve agent used.
The laboratory, which had previously identified the Novichok nerve agent, said it was likely to have been deployed by a "state actor" but said it was not its job to say where it was manufactured.
Porton Down's chief executive Gary Aitkenhead dismissed Russian claims it might have come from the UK military laboratory.
The UK says further intelligence led to its belief that Russia was responsible.
Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt on Wednesday again blamed Russia for what he called the "brazen use of a chemical weapon on UK soil one month ago".
The German government on Wednesday said it still shared the UK's view that there was a high likelihood of Russian responsibility.
The BBC understands Miss Skripal, 33, is now conscious and talking. Salisbury District Hospital has said her father, 66, remains critically ill but stable.
Mr Aitkenhead said he had been advising those treating the Skripals.Mr Aitkenhead said he had been advising those treating the Skripals.
"Unfortunately this is an extremely toxic substance. There is not, as far as we know, any antidote that you can use to negate the effects of it," he added."Unfortunately this is an extremely toxic substance. There is not, as far as we know, any antidote that you can use to negate the effects of it," he added.
What has been the reaction so far?
So far 29 nations have expelled diplomats over the poisoning.
Russia has now told the UK that more than 50 of its diplomats have to leave the country.
In a news conference on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested the poisoning could be "in the interests of the British government" because of the "uncomfortable situation" they had found themselves in with Brexit.
"There could be a whole number of reasons and none of them can be ruled out," Mr Lavrov said.