Spy poisoning: Russia to respond to 'expulsion blackmail'

Some 48 diplomats have been expelled from the Russian embassy in Washington

Russia has accused Washington of pressuring nations to carry out a mass expulsion of its diplomats in response to a nerve agent attack in the UK.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the US of "colossal blackmail" and said there were "few independent countries" left in modern Europe.


The expulsion of around 100 Russians by more than 20 nations is thought to be the largest in history.
Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned on 4 March.

Investigators believe a military-grade nerve agent was used. EU leaders agreed with the UK last week that it was highly likely Russia was behind the nerve-agent poisoning.

• What the diplomat expulsions tell us
• What next for Russia’s spy networks?
• What was the Cold War?
• Russian spy: The story so far
• Full coverage of the Russia spy poisoning