British Foreign Secretary calls Russia the main character in the novel “Crime and Punishment”
(Baonghean.vn) - Speaking at a party organized by the Director of the London Trade Center, surrounding the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson compared Russia to the main character Rodion Raskolnikov in the novel "Crime and Punishment" by famous Russian writer Mikhailovich Dostoevsky.
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| British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Photo AP |
British Foreign Secretary Johnson said Russia had underestimated the international reaction to the incident. “This is like the beginning of Crime and Punishment, where we all know who the culprit is. The only question is whether he will confess or be arrested,” Johnson said.
Boris Johnson has said the “chain of responsibility” for the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia lies squarely with the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The British Foreign Secretary also thanked the allies who stood by the UK and expelled Russian diplomats, while affirming that London's move was not aimed at ordinary Russians, and that the UK was always ready to "open its arms of friendship" to welcome Russian citizens.
Britain has accused Russia of using a military-grade nerve agent to poison former spy Sergei Skripal. It has announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and called on its allies to join the campaign to punish Russia.
Accordingly, more than 20 countries, including the US and members of the European Union (EU), "unexpectedly united", announced the expulsion of about 140 Russian diplomats, accusing Moscow of being involved in the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also made a similar move.
Russia has rejected the accusations, condemning the West's actions as "provocative" and vowing to retaliate. The Kremlin has denied involvement in the assassination, insisting Britain must provide evidence of its accusations sooner rather than later, or apologise to Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also stressed that any mention of the Russian President or damage to Russia's image in the incident is a "shocking and unforgivable" violation of diplomatic norms.