Blame game intensifies

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday accused the UK and Western partners of playing "children's games" in their response to the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

He accused countries of "disregarding all accepted behaviour" and resorting to "open lies and disinformation".

Twenty-nine nations have expelled diplomats over the poisoning, which the UK holds Russia responsible for. Lavrov also issued fresh denials at the news conference yesterday.

He made the comments in response to a question by the BBC's Steve Rosenberg about how dangerous growing tensions were between Russia and the West in comparison with the Cold War.

"In the classic Cold War," Sergei Lavrov said, "there were rules and accepted behaviour".

"I think our Western partners, I think firstly Great Britain and the USA and a few other countries that blindly follow them, have disregarded all the accepted behaviour."

He also suggested that the poisoning of a former double agent could benefit the British government by distracting attention from problems around Brexit.

"This could be in the interests of the British government which found itself in an uncomfortable situation having failed to fulfil promises to its electorate about the conditions for Brexit," Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow, referring to Britain's planned departure from the European Union.

Lavrov also suggested that the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter "could also be in the interests of the British special forces who are known for their abilities to act with a licence to kill".

"There could be a whole number of reasons and none of them can be ruled out," Lavrov said.

Britain has said it was "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the attack using a nerve agent developed in the USSR, a view backed up by its Western allies, reported AFP.

But Russia denies any involvement and has called for Britain to give it access to the nerve agent used.

Lavrov also denied the attack was "sophisticated," saying that if it had been, the victims would have died immediately.

"If I understand correctly, sophisticated attacks usually lead to instant death," he said.