Trump considers expelling Russian diplomats over UK poison attack

US President Donald Trump is considering expelling dozens of Russian diplomats from the country in response to the poisoning of a former spy on British soil, Bloomberg reported Saturday, quoting two unnamed sources with knowledge on the matter.

The expulsions may be announced as early as Monday, according to the report, though Trump desires assurances that other nations will take similar action in response to the attempted murder of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Great Britain.

The planned expulsions will reportedly target undeclared intelligence-gathering operatives working for the Russian embassy.

Earlier this week, Trump appeared to have ignored the poisoning row when he called to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election on Sunday and proposed a summit in the “not-too-distant future.”

But Trump has also agreed with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron “on the need to take action to hold Russia accountable” for the attack.

Trump expressed “solidarity with the United Kingdom in the wake of Russia’s use of chemical weapons against private citizens on British soil,” the White House said Wednesday after a phone call between the pair.

Russia on Friday slammed Britain for encouraging European Union member states to support London over the spy poisoning row after they agreed to recall the bloc’s envoy from Moscow for consultations.

In London they “are feverishly trying to force allies to take confrontational steps,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters on a visit to Hanoi, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

He said London’s focus was now on making “the crisis with Russia as deep as possible.”

At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, EU leaders united behind British Prime Minister Theresa May in blaming Russia for the nerve agent attack in England, and agreed to recall their ambassador to Moscow for consultations.

Some EU states are now considering following Britain’s lead in expelling Russian diplomats, with Lithuania and France among those indicating a willingness to take action.

Russia’s top diplomat insisted that Britain has so far failed to provide any firm evidence that would link Moscow to the March 4 attack.

“We still do not see any facts,” Lavrov was quoted as saying.

“The absence of which makes one think that all of this is a provocation, the investigation has not even been finished yet.”

At the same time Lavrov praised Trump for seeking to mend fences with Russia.

“In spite of everything, President Trump’s policies are aimed at normalizing ties with Russia and establishing cooperation in the interests of all,” Lavrov said.

International pressure has mounted on Putin over the the Cold-War style poisoning.

Britain and its allies say Russia was behind the attack on Skripal and his daughter, who remain in a critical condition after being poisoned in the English town of Salisbury with what London says is a Soviet-designed nerve agent.

But Moscow has angrily rejected the claims and on Wednesday hosted a televised briefing for foreign diplomats at which a senior official mocked Britain’s “island mentality” and “Russophobia.”

Foreign ministry official Vladimir Yermakov said London itself could have been behind the poisoning of Skripal, a former Russian officer who sold secrets to Britain and moved there in a 2010 spy swap.

“The British authorities are either unable to ensure protection from such a… terrorist attack on its territory, or they directly or indirectly — I am not accusing anyone of anything here — directed the attack on a Russian national,” he said.

Yermakov — the head of the ministry’s non-proliferation and arms control department — alternated between tough talk and quips, and said in response to a question from a British official: “I am ashamed for you.”

The diplomat rejected claims the chemical weapon “Novichok” was used in the attack, saying it would have killed people on the spot and suggested that Washington might have also had a hand in the incident.

The deepening row has already seen Britain throw out 23 Russian diplomats, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Moscow which also closed the British Council cultural institute in Russia.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Wednesday that Russia had wanted to send “a sign” with the nerve agent attack on Skripal to warn defectors that they cannot escape Moscow’s power.

In an appearance before a committee of MPs in London, Johnson said Russia chose a target in Britain because of London’s record of “calling out” Moscow’s abuses.

“I think the reason that they picked the United Kingdom is very simple, it’s because this is a country that does have that particular set of values, it does believe in freedom, and in democracy and in the rule of law, and has time and again called out Russia over its abuses of those values.”

Putin has dismissed allegations of Moscow’s involvement as “drivel, rubbish, nonsense,” while Lavrov on Wednesday urged the British government to “respond calmly” to the Skripals’ attempted murder.

“If the British government continues taking some anti-Russian measures, we will hit back under the principle of reciprocity,” he said in Japan.

“Overall, there is no doubt that the British leadership has knowingly chosen to undermine the British-Russian relationship.”

Britain says only Russia had the capability, motive, and intent to be behind the attack.