UK summons Russian ambassador after Litvinenko report

LONDON — Britain on Thursday summoned the Russian ambassador after a report into the radiation poisoning murder of ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko and imposed asset freezes on the two men identified as the perpetrators.

Home Secretary Theresa May also told parliament the killing was “a blatant and unacceptable breach of the most fundamental tenets of international law.”

The office of Prime Minister David Cameron called Thursday’s findings by British Judge Robert Owen who said that Putin was “probably” involved in the poisoning of Litvinenko, “extremely disturbing.”

“The conclusion that the murder was authorized at the highest levels of the Russian state is extremely disturbing,” said Cameron’s spokeswoman.

“It is not the way for any state, let alone a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to behave,” she said.

“Regrettably, these findings confirm what we and previous governments already believed.”

Cameron’s spokeswoman said the leader would “weigh carefully” any response with the “broader need to work with Russia on certain issues.”

“He recognizes the importance of engaging and co-operating with Russia where this is in the national interest and limiting our engagement with Russians… where that is in our interest.”

Litvinenko, a prominent Kremlin critic, died three weeks after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium at an upmarket London hotel in 2006.

Two Russians, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun, were identified by British police as prime suspects but attempts to extradite the pair have failed.