The White House said Wednesday it supports Great Britain’s decision to expel 23 Russian operatives in response to a “reckless” nerve agent attack on a British citizen and his daughter.
“The United States shares the United Kingdom’s assessment that Russia is responsible,” said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
She said of the attack in Salisbury, England, “This latest action by Russia fits into a pattern of behavior in which Russia disregards the international rules-based order, undermines the sovereignty and security of countries worldwide, and attempts to subvert and discredit Western democratic institutions and processes.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May ordered the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats believed to be involved in espionage. She also said the response would include a halt to high-level meetings between British and Russian officials and the cancellation of a scheduled visit to the United Kingdom by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The actions came after British investigators concluded that Russia was responsible for the attack targeting former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33.
The White House said the U.S. “is working together with our allies and partners to ensure that this kind of abhorrent attack does not happen again.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.