Shropshire Star

Vladimir Putin offers to assist UK in Sergei Skripal poisoning inquiry

The Russian president said it was ‘nonsense’ to link the Kremlin with the Salisbury ‘tragedy’.

Published
Vladimir Putin speaking to supporters in Moscow (Pavel Golovkin/AP)

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has dismissing British accusations of Russia’s involvement in ex-spy Sergei Skripal’s poisoning as “nonsense”, adding that Moscow is ready to cooperate with London in the probe.

Mr Putin referred to the attack on Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia as a “tragedy”, but added if the British claim that they were poisoned by the Soviet-designed nerve agent were true, the victims would have died instantly.

He said it was “nonsense” to think that anyone in Russia could have staged such an attack shortly before Sunday’s presidential vote and before the World Cup that Russia is set to host this summer.

In his first comments about the poisoning, the Russian leader said Moscow was ready to cooperate with Britain in the investigation.

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