Boris Johnson condemns Vladimir Putin over ‘brazen’ Salisbury attack and warns relations cannot be ‘normal’ until Russia stops ‘threatening’ the UK’s security in bruising talks
- Boris Johnson and Vladimir Putin held talks on the margins of summit in Berlin
- PM told the Russian president the UK still regarded Salisbury as ‘brazen’ attack
- Warned relations cannot be normal until Moscow stopped threatening security
Boris Johnson condemned Vladimir Putin over the ‘brazen’ Salisbury attack as the leaders held face-to-face talks today.
The PM warned the Russian president there is no prospect of normal relations between the countries until Moscow stops ‘undermining the safety of our citizens and collective security’.
The bruising encounter between the pair, the first since Mr Johnson took over in Downing Street, came as they attended a summit in Berlin.
The gathering is to discuss the fate of Libya, where the UK has accused Russia and Turkey of causing chaos by pursuing a ‘proxy’ conflict.
Boris Johnson met Vladimir Putin for talk in Berlin today for the first since he took over in Downing Street
Boris Johnson (right) condemned Vladimir Putin (centre) over the ‘brazen’ Salisbury attack as the leaders held face-to-face talks today
A No10 spokeswoman said: ‘The Prime Minister met President Putin in the margins of the Berlin Conference on Libya.
‘He was clear there had been no change in the UK’s position on Salisbury, which was a reckless use of chemical weapons and a brazen attempt to murder innocent people on UK soil. He said that such an attack must not be repeated.
‘The Prime Minister said that they both had a responsibility to address issues of international security including Libya, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
‘The Prime Minister said there will be no normalisation of our bilateral relationship until Russia ends the destabilising activity that threatens the UK and our allies and undermines the safety of our citizens and our collective security.’
The UK and its allies blamed Russia for the use of Novichok nerve agent against former agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March 2018.
There were a round of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions as relations between the countries, which had not recovered from the Alexander Litvinenko killing in the UK in 2006, plunged into deep freeze.
Mr Johnson was seated near Mr Putin during the round table talks on the Libya situation today