Russia preparing 'targeted response very soon' in diplomat crisis
17th July 2007
Daily Mail
Alexander Litvinenko died last November from a fatal dose of the radioactive isotope polonium 210. The murder has sparked a diplomatic rift between Britain and Russia
The Russian government said today it was preparing a "targeted" response "very soon" in a diplomatic dispute with Britain.
"Our reaction will be targeted and appropriate. British authorities will be informed very soon," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.
"But we will take into account the interests of ordinary citizens - of tourists, of participants in cultural and academic exchanges, of businesses. We don't want them to suffer as a result of London's actions," Grushko said.
The Russian foreign ministry said earlier today that Russia was preparing to unveil "appropriate measures in response", after the UK government yesterday expelled four Russian diplomats and announced visa restrictions on Russian officials.
Grushko hinted that Russia would not respond by expelling British diplomats from Moscow as had been widely expected, saying the British embassy in Moscow would have 80 less staff if Russia had taken this approach in the past.
Britain announced the measures in retaliation for Moscow's refusal to extradite the chief suspect in the radiation poisoning murder of former Russian intelligence agent Alexander Litvinenko in London last November.
British Foreign Minister David Miliband is expelling four Russian diplomats
Russia says its constitution prevents it from extraditing its own citizens to face trial in another country. Britain says this is possible under an international accord signed by Russia.
Grushko said Britain was attempting to punish Russia for observing its own constitution. "This is not only unfair and unacceptable, it also contradicts common sense," Grushko said.
He added: "It is clear that London's policy will complicate if not close the doors for co-operation between law-enforcement bodies on issues directly connected to the security of millions of Russians and Britons," he said.
Mr Grushko bitterly criticised the decision to expel the diplomats over the incident.
He pointed out that if Russia had responded in the same way each time an extradition request from Moscow was turned down by the UK, "the British Embassy would be short of about 80 diplomats now".
He said that Foreign Secretary David Miliband had acknowledged in his Commons statement that the extradition of a Russian citizen to stand trial abroad would require a change to the constitution.
Russia's Foreign Ministry has described London's actions as "immoral" and "provocative" and said it will respond appropriately. "A high-level official will make a statement at 5:30 p.m. (1330 GMT)," a ministry spokesman said today, although the statement has not yet materialised.
However, Interfax news agency quoted an "informed source" in Moscow as saying Russia would not act until Britain carried out its threatened expulsions. "Until then, it will be all words," the source said.
Interfax also quoted a Russian embassy source in London as saying Britain had presented a list of the four diplomats it wanted expelled.
"These diplomats hold middle-ranking positions," the source said, adding that London was not insisting they leave in 24 or 48 hours.
Most Russia watchers believe Moscow will match London's actions with its own expulsions or another political step. But the big question was whether the Kremlin might also hit back at British business interests in Russia.
Russia's powerful natural resources minister, Yuri Trutnev, said there were no such plans.
"I don't think it makes sense to impose restrictions that would affect the investment climate, because that would be very expensive, including for Britain," Russian agencies quoted him as saying.
"We will continue working as usual and don't see any reason to review our approach to foreign investments on the back of recent events," Trutnev added.
Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence officer who held British citizenship and who had become a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin's, died an agonising death in a London hospital after being poisoned by highly radioactive polonium.
British prosecutors have accused Russian businessman Andrei Lugovoy - also a former state security officer - of carrying out the poisoning and have demanded his extradition to face trial in Britain.
Russia has refused, citing a constitutional ban on extraditing its own citizens.
The Russian media described Britain's response as a declaration of diplomatic war.
Commentators accused Britain of double standards for punishing Russia while itself ignoring numerous Russian extradition requests.
"Over the past six years, Moscow has sent Britain 21 extradition requests but not a single suspect has been extradited," said the government daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
"The suspects included fraudsters, killers, terrorists, drug dealers and persons involved in especially serious embezzlement of funds. Six of the people mentioned in the requests have been granted political asylum in Britain."
The man behind the diplomatic crisis: Russia is refusing to extradite Andrei Lugovoi (above) who is accused of murdering ex KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Litvinenko's widow, however, praised Britain for taking a stand.
Marina Litvinenko stated yesterday: "As I said in my letter to President Putin, I will not rest until my husband's killers are brought to justice.
"I am very grateful to the British Government for this afternoon's statement by David Miliband. It makes me proud to be a UK citizen because I can see that my strong faith in the British authorities was well founded and that they too share my determination.
"I urge the Russian government to do what is necessary to comply with the request for extradition."
Russian commentators accused Britain of double standards.
"Britain and Russia have plunged into a diplomatic war of unprecedented scale," said the business daily Kommersant, one of the more independent voices in Moscow.
"Over the past six years, Moscow has sent Britain 21 extradition requests, but not a single suspect has been extradited," said the government daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
"The suspects included fraudsters, killers, terrorists, drug dealers and persons involved in especially serious embezzlement of funds. Six of the people mentioned in the requests have been granted political asylum in Great Britain."
The remark appeared to be a reference to the cluster of anti-Kremlin emigres based in London, who include Berezovsky and Zakayev.
Russian newspapers said Britain clearly wanted to avoid damaging its substantial business interests in Russia, where it is among the biggest foreign investors, mainly in the politically sensitive oil and gas sector.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta quoted Russia's ambassador to Britain Yuri Fedotov as saying British companies invested $3.3 billion in Russia last year.
"It turns out that Russia and Britain have things to lose," the newspaper said.
The pro-government daily Izvestia recalled a 2002 incident in which Russia tried to extradite a citizen to Turkmenistan, one of the world's most repressive countries.
Murad Garbayev was returned to Russia and tried at home after an outburst of protests by international rights groups and a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights.
"It turns out that people cannot be extradited to Ashgabat, but they can be to London," the newspaper said.
dailymail.co.uk
17th July 2007
Daily Mail
Alexander Litvinenko died last November from a fatal dose of the radioactive isotope polonium 210. The murder has sparked a diplomatic rift between Britain and Russia
The Russian government said today it was preparing a "targeted" response "very soon" in a diplomatic dispute with Britain.
"Our reaction will be targeted and appropriate. British authorities will be informed very soon," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.
"But we will take into account the interests of ordinary citizens - of tourists, of participants in cultural and academic exchanges, of businesses. We don't want them to suffer as a result of London's actions," Grushko said.
The Russian foreign ministry said earlier today that Russia was preparing to unveil "appropriate measures in response", after the UK government yesterday expelled four Russian diplomats and announced visa restrictions on Russian officials.
Grushko hinted that Russia would not respond by expelling British diplomats from Moscow as had been widely expected, saying the British embassy in Moscow would have 80 less staff if Russia had taken this approach in the past.
Britain announced the measures in retaliation for Moscow's refusal to extradite the chief suspect in the radiation poisoning murder of former Russian intelligence agent Alexander Litvinenko in London last November.
British Foreign Minister David Miliband is expelling four Russian diplomats
Russia says its constitution prevents it from extraditing its own citizens to face trial in another country. Britain says this is possible under an international accord signed by Russia.
Grushko said Britain was attempting to punish Russia for observing its own constitution. "This is not only unfair and unacceptable, it also contradicts common sense," Grushko said.
He added: "It is clear that London's policy will complicate if not close the doors for co-operation between law-enforcement bodies on issues directly connected to the security of millions of Russians and Britons," he said.
Mr Grushko bitterly criticised the decision to expel the diplomats over the incident.
He pointed out that if Russia had responded in the same way each time an extradition request from Moscow was turned down by the UK, "the British Embassy would be short of about 80 diplomats now".
He said that Foreign Secretary David Miliband had acknowledged in his Commons statement that the extradition of a Russian citizen to stand trial abroad would require a change to the constitution.
Russia's Foreign Ministry has described London's actions as "immoral" and "provocative" and said it will respond appropriately. "A high-level official will make a statement at 5:30 p.m. (1330 GMT)," a ministry spokesman said today, although the statement has not yet materialised.
However, Interfax news agency quoted an "informed source" in Moscow as saying Russia would not act until Britain carried out its threatened expulsions. "Until then, it will be all words," the source said.
Interfax also quoted a Russian embassy source in London as saying Britain had presented a list of the four diplomats it wanted expelled.
"These diplomats hold middle-ranking positions," the source said, adding that London was not insisting they leave in 24 or 48 hours.
Most Russia watchers believe Moscow will match London's actions with its own expulsions or another political step. But the big question was whether the Kremlin might also hit back at British business interests in Russia.
Russia's powerful natural resources minister, Yuri Trutnev, said there were no such plans.
"I don't think it makes sense to impose restrictions that would affect the investment climate, because that would be very expensive, including for Britain," Russian agencies quoted him as saying.
"We will continue working as usual and don't see any reason to review our approach to foreign investments on the back of recent events," Trutnev added.
Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence officer who held British citizenship and who had become a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin's, died an agonising death in a London hospital after being poisoned by highly radioactive polonium.
British prosecutors have accused Russian businessman Andrei Lugovoy - also a former state security officer - of carrying out the poisoning and have demanded his extradition to face trial in Britain.
Russia has refused, citing a constitutional ban on extraditing its own citizens.
The Russian media described Britain's response as a declaration of diplomatic war.
Commentators accused Britain of double standards for punishing Russia while itself ignoring numerous Russian extradition requests.
"Over the past six years, Moscow has sent Britain 21 extradition requests but not a single suspect has been extradited," said the government daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
"The suspects included fraudsters, killers, terrorists, drug dealers and persons involved in especially serious embezzlement of funds. Six of the people mentioned in the requests have been granted political asylum in Britain."
The man behind the diplomatic crisis: Russia is refusing to extradite Andrei Lugovoi (above) who is accused of murdering ex KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Litvinenko's widow, however, praised Britain for taking a stand.
Marina Litvinenko stated yesterday: "As I said in my letter to President Putin, I will not rest until my husband's killers are brought to justice.
"I am very grateful to the British Government for this afternoon's statement by David Miliband. It makes me proud to be a UK citizen because I can see that my strong faith in the British authorities was well founded and that they too share my determination.
"I urge the Russian government to do what is necessary to comply with the request for extradition."
Russian commentators accused Britain of double standards.
"Britain and Russia have plunged into a diplomatic war of unprecedented scale," said the business daily Kommersant, one of the more independent voices in Moscow.
"Over the past six years, Moscow has sent Britain 21 extradition requests, but not a single suspect has been extradited," said the government daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
"The suspects included fraudsters, killers, terrorists, drug dealers and persons involved in especially serious embezzlement of funds. Six of the people mentioned in the requests have been granted political asylum in Great Britain."
The remark appeared to be a reference to the cluster of anti-Kremlin emigres based in London, who include Berezovsky and Zakayev.
Russian newspapers said Britain clearly wanted to avoid damaging its substantial business interests in Russia, where it is among the biggest foreign investors, mainly in the politically sensitive oil and gas sector.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta quoted Russia's ambassador to Britain Yuri Fedotov as saying British companies invested $3.3 billion in Russia last year.
"It turns out that Russia and Britain have things to lose," the newspaper said.
The pro-government daily Izvestia recalled a 2002 incident in which Russia tried to extradite a citizen to Turkmenistan, one of the world's most repressive countries.
Murad Garbayev was returned to Russia and tried at home after an outburst of protests by international rights groups and a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights.
"It turns out that people cannot be extradited to Ashgabat, but they can be to London," the newspaper said.
dailymail.co.uk