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Russian spy: UK brands offer of joint inquiry 'perverse' Russian spy: UK brands offer of joint inquiry 'perverse'
(about 4 hours later)
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. Russia's call for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of an ex-spy and his daughter in England is "perverse", the UK has told the international chemical weapons watchdog in the Hague.
The comment came from the UK team as it attended an emergency meeting of the international chemical weapons watchdog, the OPCW, on the issue. The victim of an attack is not required to work with the "likely perpetrator", UK acting representative John Foggo told the OPCW's executive council.
Russia, which called the meeting, wants the UK to share evidence. Russia called the meeting to challenge the UK, which has blamed Moscow for the March 4 poisoning.
The UK says Russia was almost certainly to blame for the attack but Moscow denies any involvement. It has strongly denied any involvement.
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 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.
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. The incident has caused a major diplomatic fallout, with the expulsion of some 150 Russian diplomats by the UK and its allies being met by counter-expulsions by Moscow.
On Tuesday the UK's Porton Down laboratory said it could not verify the precise source of the Novichok nerve agent used in Salisbury, although it did say it was likely to have been deployed by a "state actor".
The comments were seized upon by Russia to discredit the UK's accusations. On Wednesday, the European Union re-iterated that it backed the UK's assessment that it was highly likely that Russia was responsible.
In the Hague, Mr Foggo told the emergency OPCW meeting that the UK had blamed Russia based on:
He said that Russia had offered more than 24 "contradictory and changing counter-narratives" about the attack, including "preposterous" suggestions that Sweden, the US or Britain itself could have been responsible.
The EU delegation offered its full support to Britain, saying Russia had unleashed "a flood of insinuations targeting its member states" in the aftermath of the poisoning.
Russia's President Putin, speaking in the Turkish capital Ankara, said he hoped "common sense" would prevail.
What is the OPCW meeting about?What is the OPCW meeting about?
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. Russia called the meeting because, among other things, it wants to know what kind of evidence the UK has provided to the OPCW - the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; 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. Diplomats at the OPCW said the Russian proposal for a joint inquiry - seen by Western powers as an attempt to undermine the OPCW's existing investigation - was unlikely to be approved by the 41-nation executive council with the two-thirds majority required.
But its offer of a joint investigation was dismissed by the UK.
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.
"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 its 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.
The EU has said it is very concerned that Russia might reject the results of the investigation.
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.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.
"It is appropriate to say that the dark times of the Cold War are back," he said."It is appropriate to say that the dark times of the Cold War are back," he said.
Did the UK already have a sample of Novichok?Did the UK already have a sample of Novichok?
Analysis by the BBC's David ShukmanAnalysis by the BBC's David Shukman
The only way that scientists can be totally sure who made the Novichok agent is to compare it with another sample of the substance made in the same lab. That's what happened when Sarin was used by Saddam Hussein in Iraq and more recently by President Assad in Syria.The only way that scientists can be totally sure who made the Novichok agent is to compare it with another sample of the substance made in the same lab. That's what happened when Sarin was used by Saddam Hussein in Iraq and more recently by President Assad in Syria.
Experts already knew which clues to look for, and that allowed them to lay the blame definitively. Novichok is much less well known. The traces of it gathered in Salisbury will have been put through detailed scientific screening and that would reveal the ingredients of the chemical and maybe also its basic structure.Experts already knew which clues to look for, and that allowed them to lay the blame definitively. Novichok is much less well known. The traces of it gathered in Salisbury will have been put through detailed scientific screening and that would reveal the ingredients of the chemical and maybe also its basic structure.
That could be matched with whatever is known about Novichok, maybe from lab notes handed over by defectors. And for Porton Down to describe it as "military grade" suggests a sophisticated state producer, not an amateur, though that itself is not categorical proof of Russian involvement.That could be matched with whatever is known about Novichok, maybe from lab notes handed over by defectors. And for Porton Down to describe it as "military grade" suggests a sophisticated state producer, not an amateur, though that itself is not categorical proof of Russian involvement.
That leaves another scenario in this secretive world of smoke and mirrors - that Britain did already have a sample of Novichok and was able to compare it to the agent used on the Skripals but does not want to reveal the fact, to protect a valuable source of intelligence.That leaves another scenario in this secretive world of smoke and mirrors - that Britain did already have a sample of Novichok and was able to compare it to the agent used on the Skripals but does not want to reveal the fact, to protect a valuable source of intelligence.
Is the UK under pressure over the inquiry?Is the UK under pressure over the inquiry?
Questions arose about whether the UK had been too quick to point the finger at Russia after the UK's Porton Down laboratory said it could not verify the precise source of the nerve agent used in Salisbury. Questions arose about whether the UK had been too quick to point the finger at Russia after the Porton Down laboratory said that it could not verify the precise source of the Novichok nerve agent.
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.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.Porton Down's chief executive Gary Aitkenhead dismissed Russian claims it might have come from the UK military laboratory.
On Wednesday, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox strongly defended the UK's stance. On Twitter, the Russian Embassy highlighted a now-deleted tweet by the UK Foreign Office which suggested Porton Down had said the nerve agent had been produced in Russia.
He said Britain knew that Russia had been stockpiling the nerve agent and that it had been investigating ways to deliver it. The Foreign Office said the tweet had been part of a real-time account of a speech by the UK's ambassador in Moscow and was deleted because it "did not accurately report our Ambassador's words".
He added: "We know that Russia has previously been willing to poison outside its borders... We know it regards ex-agents as being candidates for assassination. It's not the UK alone that came to this conclusion. It's a conclusion that's backed up by our allies around the world." It added: "None of this changes the fact that it is our assessment that Russia was responsible for this brazen and reckless act and, as the international community agrees, there is no other plausible explanation."
The German government on Wednesday said it still shared the UK's view that there was a high likelihood of Russian responsibility. On Wednesday, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said Britain knew that Russia had been stockpiling the nerve agent and that it had been investigating ways to deliver it.
A statement from the EU reiterated its solidarity with the UK and said it was imperative Russia responded to the UK's "legitimate questions".
How are the Skripals doing?How are the Skripals doing?
The BBC understands Miss Skripal, 33, is now conscious and talking. Salisbury District Hospital has said her father, 66, remains critically ill but stable.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.