UK urges EU to go further in countering Russia

But Brussels has been reluctant to go head-to-head with Moscow

New British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants the European Union to follow the United States' lead and impose more sanctions on Russia for a chemical attack that was allegedly carried out by Russia on British soil earlier this year, a claim that Moscow has consistently denied.

Hunt, who recently succeeded Boris Johnson at the helm of the United Kingdom's Foreign Office, was set to make the call on Tuesday during his first official visit to the US.

"That means calling out and responding to transgressions with one voice, whenever they occur, from the streets of Salisbury to the fate of Crimea," he was set to say, BBC reported.

"Those who do not share our values need to know that there will always be a serious price to pay if red lines are crossed - whether territorial incursions, the use of banned weapons or, increasingly, cyberattacks."

The broadcaster predicted, however, that Hunt's call is likely to fall on deaf ears in Brussels, where EU politicians have shown a reluctance to go head-to-head with Moscow.

Hunt was to make the speech in Washington, at the US Institute of Peace, where he was expected to warn about multiple threats to the world's economy, international security, and the international order.

He also noted that the historically "rock-solid" transatlantic alliance, involving Europe and the US, would be undermined if the partners fail to show their opponents the lines that must not be crossed.

London blames Moscow for a chemical attack in Salisbury in March, during which the former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent. Sergei Skripal had acted as a double agent on behalf of the UK's intelligence services during the 1990s and early 2000s and arrived in the UK in 2010 as part of a prisoner swap.

The Skripals recovered after the attack, which Britain described as an assassination attempt, but the Kremlin denied involvement.

Previously Russia said it was not responsible and Moscow expected both answers and full cooperation from the British side, as well as consular access to the Skripals.

Another two people were sickened several weeks later, in nearby Amesbury, after apparently handling a discarded container that had been used to carry the nerve agent. One of those people later died.

Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning and several other EU nations followed suit. But Hunt believes more punishment is needed and says sanctions already announced by the US and additional action from the EU would punish Russia's "malign" behavior.

The Independent newspaper said Hunt wants Britain's allies to speak with "one voice" against Moscow.

In addition to his criticism of Russia in relation to the Wiltshire poisonings and its annexation of Crimea, Hunt was also expected to blast Moscow for supporting the Syrian government.

But Britain's opposition Labour Party has warned new sanctions are only likely to ramp up tension internationally.

The Russian government, meanwhile, has consistently denied any role in the Wiltshire poisonings.

Hunt's three-day trip to the US will include an opportunity to address the United Nations Security Council, where he will speak about the international fight against Islamic State groups and other Islamist terror groups.

Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump has no intention of lifting sanctions against Russia.

"I'm not considering it at all, no," Trump told the agency. "I would consider it if they do something that would be good for us. But I wouldn't consider it without that."

Trump's relationship with Russia has been complex since he took office last year. Arguments about the funding of NATO have seen him distance himself from traditional allies in Europe while apparently moving closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

earle@mail.chinadailyuk.com

(China Daily 08/22/2018 page12)