FIGHTING TALK
Theresa May slams Vladimir Putin for Russia’s ‘desperate fabrication’ over Salisbury spy poisoning
The Prime Minister, 61, was speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York
FURIOUS Theresa May escalated her blistering row with Russia at the UN after accusing Vladimir Putin of a "desperate fabrication" of the Salisbury nerve agent attack.
She let rip at Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sat two seats down in the UN Security Council chamber.
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Minutes later he hit back by accusing the PM of promoting "unsubstantiated, ideologically-inspired rhetoric" and repeated Moscow conspiracies claiming Britain was trying to “hide” its own role in the nerve agent attack.
The PM also used her keynote address to world leaders in New York to urge the West to stand up to bullies like Vladimir Putin - or face fuelling the return of communism and facism to Europe.
She said Britain had presented detailed evidence about the prime suspects in the nerve agent attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia while Russia has only sought to "obfuscate".
She told the United Nations Security Council: "We have taken appropriate action, with our allies, and we will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure our collective security.
"Russia has only sought to obfuscate through desperate fabrication."
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The PM, 61, described the incident as a "sickening" attack and said Russia is "blatantly" violating a range of international norms.
She highlighted that the UK had identified two key suspects in the attack and also took a swipe at President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.
Suspects Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov were identified by the UK as members of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service.
However, the pair made widely mocked claims that they only made the trip to visit the "wonderful town" of Salisbury and its famous cathedral.
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Speaking at 7.15pm GMT, she told world leaders: "We have seen what happens when the natural patriotism which is a cornerstone of a healthy society is warped into aggressive nationalism, exploiting fear and uncertainty to promote identity politics at home and belligerent confrontation abroad, while breaking rules and undermining institutions.
"And we see this when states like Russia flagrantly breach international norms – from the seizing of sovereign territory to the reckless use of chemical weapons on the streets of Britain by agents of the Russian GRU."
It comes as suspect Boshirov was revealed to be an elite soldier who was given Russia's highest award by Putin himself.
It has since been claimed that Boshirov’s real name is Colonel Anatoliy Vladimirovich Chepiga, a 39-year-old soldier who served in both Chechnya and Ukraine.
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If true, the investigation by and The Telegraph contradicts Putin’s claims the would-be killers were innocent holidaymakers.
Earlier today, the PM also called on Russia to rejoin the international consensus against the use of chemical weapons and said there should be no doubt of the international community's determination to take action if it did not.
She said: "We cannot let the framework be undermined today by those who reject the values and disregard the rules that have kept us safe.
"It will take collective engagement to reinforce it in the face of today's challenges. And in this, as has always been the case, the UK will play a leading role."
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During her speech the PM praised the US president, who was chairing the security council, for the "leadership" he had shown over North Korea by meeting dictator Kim Jong Un for talks over Pyongyang's nuclear programme.
But she said the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) had taken collective leadership.
She added: "For many years, the scale and nature of Iran's nuclear programme raised serious international concerns. The JCPOA was an important step forward in addressing these.
"It remains the best means of preventing Iran developing a nuclear weapon, and we are committed to preserving the JCPOA as long as Iran continues to abide by its obligations in full.
"Iran must ensure they implement their obligations fully. And to monitor Iran's compliance, we strongly support the IAEA using inspections and other monitoring provisions of the JCPOA to their full."
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Warning that a failure of the international community to stand up to the likes of Vladimir Putin, Mrs May said: “We have seen those on the extreme right and extreme left exploit people’s fears, stoke intolerance and racism, close down economies and societies and destroy the peace of nations.
"And today once more we see worrying trends in the rise of these movements in Europe and beyond.
“We have seen what happens when countries slide into authoritarianism, slowly crushing the basic freedoms and rights of their citizens.
“We have seen what happens when corrupt oligarchies rob their nations of the wealth, resources and human capital that are so vital to unlocking a brighter future for their citizens.”
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