By Mahak Paliwal
Theresa May, the ongoing Prime Minister of United Kingdom and leader of the conservative party since 2016 publicly said, there was no alternative conclusion other than the Russian state was responsible for the attempted murder of Mr Skripal and his daughter. The foreign secretary of Britain Mr Boris Johnson has expressed exceptional admiration for the support the United Kingdom has received throughout from friends over the poisoning attack on ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripa and his daughter. An official from European Union while discussing its approach towards the prevailing situation due to the Salisbury incident said, makes it more likely we keep what we have got. The consensus has been beginning to crack.
A deteriorating relationship
However, EU officials have raised concern over this hold-up by powerful nations against Russia, which is making it increasingly impossible to sign any collective agreement on the new measures. Theresa May has been consistently forcing EU officials to teach Russia a hard lesson by taking more stringent action against Russia. The U.K is likely to induce EU members states to expel the Russian agents. The already deteriorating relationship between the Russia and EU, as well as Russia and NATO, is pretty much evident from the increased support of the organisation for U.K. European Commissions Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, who told the media: Of course the U.K. can count on EU solidarity in this regard. Guy Verhofstadt, who is the European Parliaments Brexit coordinator, expressing his support for U.K., tweeted, We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the British people. It must be made clear that an attack against one EU & NATO country is an attack on all of us.
Expressing its deep concern over the Salisbury occurrence, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said a few days ago, that the incident was “the first offensive use of a nerve agent on alliance territory since NATO’s foundation.” The organisation has ordered Russia to respond to Britains question and provide full and complete disclosure of the Novichok program to NATO for accessing the legality attached to such program under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Although Britain enjoys immense support from NATO, the presence of Turkey, which is a developing ally of Russia, in the Syrian region is making any immediate action harder.
Rehabilitation measures post Salisbury occurrence
The Prime Minister of U.K, in an officially released statement,has mentioned about her plan to propose new legislation which would not only strengthen Britains strength to deal with the hostile attack, but also aid the country in targeting the nations which are widely culpable of human abuse or violation of human rights, by the way of sanctions. Britain will further proceed in the direction of taking collective measures to ensure monitoring of such travellers who might possess a threat to the safety and security of the country and crack down on corrupt elites. May said that they have decided to freeze the assets of the Russian government to strengthen our power and impose a penalty. In future, Britain has announced its intentions of formulating and bringing into force varied economic and diplomatic measures including the suspension of high-level bilateral contacts with Russia to prevent such occurrences.
Russian perspectives
Sergey Markosyan, a civilian aged 36, who was spotted at a Magnit supermarket in Moscow, said, What reason would Russia have to do this?. The layman further added, He was in Britain, right? So shouldnt they look in Britain?. Further, Anatoly Sobolev, a sales associate at a KFC outlet, said, We are the worlds scapegoat. Sergey Karaganov, who is prominently known as an influential foreign policy thinker,told, the British have gone rabid. He indicated that there is a sense the west is lashing out because the west is declining and Russia is being rebuilt.
The upcoming World Cup in Russia
The enormously applauded effort of Vladimir Putin to ensure winning the bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and organise the most beloved event, now evidently appears to be its only hope to do everything it can to regain its sustainable relations with U.K and supporting nations. John Zak Woodcock, the British Labour Co-operative politician, said, “I would like to see a parliamentary debate on whether concerted government action together with other countries to postpone the World Cup or move it to another venue would be the right way to go.
As per the statement made by May to the reporters, as part of ensuring effective implementation of its measure of not engaging in any high-level contacts with Russian nations, none of the ministers of United Kingdom or the British royals will be attending the soccer World Cup in Russia scheduled to be held in summer. The invitation, which was sent to Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia, for a meeting in the immediate future, stands cancelled post the Salisbury occurrence. With the unshakeable willingness of the UK and increasingly deteriorating relations with organisations like EU and NATO and other nations, it remains to be seen if Russia will succeed in turning the table of relations with western countries and specifically the UK in the upcoming World Cup.
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