The European Union has recalled its ambassador to Moscow in response to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a Russian double agent, who was attacked with a nerve agent in England earlier this month. Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, remain in critical condition in the hospital almost three weeks after being poisoned with a nerve agent that British scientists say belong to Cold War Russia's chemical stocks. Moscow angrily rejected claims about Skripal, who would spy for Britain in the early 2000s and was on a Kremlin-approved list of deserters. But British Prime Minister Theresa May went to Brussels yesterday to inform EU heads of state of the attack on Skripal.
The summit concluded in the early hours of today with the publication of a joint statement, signed by each participating head of state, in support of the British claims and an expression of outrage over Moscow's alleged use of a military-grade nerve agent. on British soil. The statement said EU leaders "agree with the UK government's assessment that the Russian Federation is highly likely to be responsible" for the attack on the Skripals. "There is no plausible alternative explanation," the statement said, and described the attack on the two Russians as a "serious challenge to our shared security." The statement will be seen as a foreign policy triumph by London, as Britain contacted EU governments asking them for direct condemnation of Russia and possible diplomatic action, in response to the alleged attack.
The joint statement also said the EU will recall the ambassador to Moscow with immediate effect. Markus Ederer, a German diplomat representing the EU in the Russian capital, will leave Russia "for a month of consultations", in what appears to be a symbolic act of protest by Europeans. However, some EU members threatened further action and said they would "coordinate on the consequences to be drawn in light of" future Russian action on the Skripal issue. In statements released to reporters early Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there may be "further punitive measures" against Russia, adding that they would be coordinated between EU states.
Some media reported that at least five EU member states were considering expelling undeclared Russian intelligence officials from their territory in response to the alleged Russian attack in England. They are said to include France, Lithuania and Poland. The London-based Daily Telegraph reported that Russia risks dismantling the entire Western European spy network. Some EU countries, however, including Italy and Greece, seem less interested in taking action against Russia. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said today that his government has expressed its "solidarity with the UK", but that the EU has yet to investigate what happened in England on 4 March.