Britain's Johnson: expulsions show international frustration with Russia

[webfact]

Britain's Johnson: expulsions show international frustration with Russia

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, arrives at the BBC to appear on the Andrew Marr Show, in central London, Britain March 18, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said coordinated expulsions of Russian diplomats announced on Monday showed that the use of nerve toxin on a former Russian spy on English soil had brought to a head international frustrations with Moscow.

 

In an interview with Britain's public broadcaster the BBC, Johnson said Britain and its allies had no quarrel with the Russian people, only with President Vladimir Putin's administration.

 

The United States said it would expel 60 Russian diplomats, and Canada and 20 European states including France, Germany and Ukraine together expelled over 50 more, to punish the Kremlin for the attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, accepting Britain's analysis that Moscow was to blame.

 

"The reason they got it was because they suddenly realised that this could happen in their own towns, in their own cities," Johnson said.

 

"They suddenly could see that this was a new kind of threat and that Russia was behaving in a particularly reckless way, and particularly contemptuous of civilised norms."

 

Britain had already expelled 23 Russian diplomats in response to the attack, saying it had been carried out using Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union. Moscow has rejected the accusation, saying it amounts to "banditry" on Britain's part.

 

"For many other governments, what happened in Salisbury sort of crystallised their own frustrations, their own disappointments with the way the Russian state has been behaving," Johnson said in the interview.

 

He rejected the suggestion that the measures were leading towards a new and dangerous Cold War with Moscow.

 

"It's very, very important to stress that our quarrel is not with the people of Russia, not with Russian culture, civilisation ... Our quarrel is exclusively with the Kremlin and the current administration.

 

"The objective of this global collective action is for the world to signal that the doubts and fears about that Kremlin action have crystallised," Johnson said.

 

"Russia is a great, great country, but it doesn't have to be great in this way, and what the world is saying to Russia today is that particular style of behaviour, ... these endless provocations -- we've had enough of them."

 

(Reporting by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Catherine Evans)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-27

[Samui Bodoh]

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

The United States said it would expel 60 Russian diplomats, and Canada and 20 European states including France, Germany and Ukraine together expelled over 50 more, to punish the Kremlin for the attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, accepting Britain's analysis that Moscow was to blame.

 

I think it is a level of international frustration and I am very pleased to (finally!) see some action.

 

However, I doubt that this is the last action that will need to occur; the question for me is whether the European States, the Americans, and all the other actors have the perseverance to continue to punish Russia in order to stop the interference in their internal affairs/elections?

 

I truly hope so, but need to be convinced; there are too many stupid people out there who think Putin is simply...er... ahem... "misunderstood".

 

[YetAnother]

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

"It's very, very important to stress that our quarrel is not with the people of Russia, not with Russian culture, civilisation ... Our quarrel is exclusively with the Kremlin and the current administration.

is it possible to say something by saying you are not saying it ?; the russian govt is the only thing anyone of note in the particular issue interacts with; it is the only player; it reflects and represents the russian people

[stevenl]

Sensible statements made by Johnson.

[connda]

Geopolitically, nothing has changed since the 18th century.  That's what is rather laughable. But few people bother to study history.

Edited March 27, 2018 by connda

[sammieuk1]

Boris's head is now a very big Putin target .

[Guest]

I agree with Boris Johnson. Putin and his crew of criminals have been acting like a school bully for years.

 

It's very good and welcomed to see united response by the west, against the current Kreml modus operandi. 

[Different]

I never felt more happy than this to teach Putin the thug a lesson and to let him know his place as the strongest dictator in the world.

[Guest]

Liberal, free world response to Putin's games.

 

Quote

 

Putin Finally Went Too Far

The unified international response to the Skripal poisoning shows that the West will only suffer so much provocation.

For years now, Putin’s calculation has been that the West is strong but lacking in unity and will, allowing a scrappy Russia willing to bend and break the rules of the international order to assert its place as a global player. But the success of this gambit hinged on his capacity to assess what the West would tolerate. 

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/03/putin-skripal-expulsion-russia-poisoning-trump/556556/?utm_source=twb

[maximillian]

Wow, I'm impressed. A lot of TV members want to go to war with Russia about an alleged crime but until now with allegations only instead of proof.

Too often the West has started wars with false flag operations. Are all of you so forgetfull ?

I don't believe one word of May, Boris Johnson, Trump, Merkel, Macron and all the other NATO buffons including their mainstream propaganda media.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 minutes ago, maximillian said:

Wow, I'm impressed. A lot of TV members want to go to war with Russia about an alleged crime but until now with allegations only instead of proof.

Too often the West has started wars with false flag operations. Are all of you so forgetfull ?

I don't believe one word of May, Boris Johnson, Trump, Merkel, Macron and all the other NATO buffons including their mainstream propaganda media.

Well said.

I used to like Boris, but seems to me that he has sold out to the May camp, and he has lost my support.

That carefully cultivated aura of non conformity has to have some substance to be taken seriously.

I can think of a lot of things that Russia has done in the past that are far worse than allegedly poisoning a few people, and nothing was ever done about it.

I doubt if Putin is lying awake at night worrying about Borris.

 

The current anti Russia campaign has too many echoes of the Iraq WMD fiasco for my liking.

[Morch]

25 minutes ago, maximillian said:

Wow, I'm impressed. A lot of TV members want to go to war with Russia about an alleged crime but until now with allegations only instead of proof.

Too often the West has started wars with false flag operations. Are all of you so forgetfull ?

I don't believe one word of May, Boris Johnson, Trump, Merkel, Macron and all the other NATO buffons including their mainstream propaganda media.

 

Who (other than yourself, and others parroting Russian/pro-Russian positions) said anything about going to war with Russia? Apparently, for some, it is quite alright for Russia to do whatever it feels like, but heavens forbid anyone should object. Then it's warmongering. As for being forgetful, seems to apply with regard to accepting Russia underhanded actions as well, but eh.

[Guest]

 

 

Quote

 

Putin’s Favorite Tactic Has Finally Backfired

That was when the term “plausible deniability” became a standard part of Western discussions about Russia. The practice of carrying out dubious deeds through the hands of proxies or other hard-to-identify agents has since become something of a trademark of Mr. Putin’s. Sometimes, the agents are indeed Kremlin actors in disguise, as they were in Crimea.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/opinion/putins-skripal-poison-deniability.html?smid=tw-share

Edited March 28, 2018 by Guest
Edited as per fair use policy: 14) You will not post any copyrighted material except as fair use laws apply (as in the case of news articles). Please only post a link, the headline and the first three sentences.

[Guest]

Earlier Russia was able to play each western (and eastern) country one-by-one and they were very good playing it. Divide et Conquer. 

 

But when the west unites against Putin's abusive tactics, playing that game becomes a lot more difficult for Russia. 

 

It really was time for the west to unite once again. We are stronger together against any authoritarian bully. 

Edited March 28, 2018 by Guest

[maximillian]

4 hours ago, Morch said:

 

Who (other than yourself, and others parroting Russian/pro-Russian positions) said anything about going to war with Russia? Apparently, for some, it is quite alright for Russia to do whatever it feels like, but heavens forbid anyone should object. Then it's warmongering. As for being forgetful, seems to apply with regard to accepting Russia underhanded actions as well, but eh.

 

We are witnessing a full court press by the US, Western Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada. The leaders of these nations and their obedient news outlets are going all out to confront Russia militarily, economically, politically and diplomatically. The hysteria stirred up by Western politicians and their subservient media seems to be driven by an agenda to isolate Russia from the rest of the world. The West is cynically using these unsubstantiated allegations to malign, discredit and demonize Russia so as to undermine its international standing. These repeated accusations seem like a page right out of Nazi Propaganda.

“A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth…..If you repeat a lie often enough people will believe it.” The assassination of this Russian double agent Sergei Skripal couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for Prime Minister Theresa May whose popularity was sagging in the polls. The incident, irrespective of how disingenuous, provided her with a flag waving call to arms against the alien Russian aggressor. This all fits in quite neatly with other orchestrated allegations of Russian electoral interference, Russian trolls and hacking of DNC emails disseminating from US politicians and Intelligence Services.
This bellicose fear mongering taking place throughout the West is happening while NATO is literally on Russia’s doorstep. How should Russia react to this mass hysteria? Their troops aren’t on the borders of Western Europe, the US or Canada. Russia doesn’t have 700 military bases in 70 countries throughout the world nor has it invaded other countries or conducted in regime change as has the US and NATO.
From a Russian perspective Russia is probably facing the greatest challenge from the West since Hitler’s 1941 invasion. Of course the advent of nuclear weapons and intercontinental missiles in the last 75 years will hopefully be enough to reign in the crazies in Washington and London's 10 Downing Street.  Or maybe not...

[Morch]

 

@maximillian

 

We are not witnessing anything that even comes close to "full court press". If you imagine what's going on right now is something approaching that, then either your sense of proportion is off, or alternatively, you just auto-parrot Russia, pro-Russian or anti-Western talking points. But do go on about "hysteria" after making such a comment...

 

There is no military confrontation, other than in some hyperbole posts, mostly from pro-Russian posters. Economic and political confrontation is within accepted norms, carrying out exotic extra-judicial murder attempts of another country's citizens, and on that country's soil - is not. Somehow, you don't seem all that bothered by this - perhaps the rules are different when it comes to Russia.

 

And you can go on about "obedient", and "subservient" Western media to your heart's content. The very same media is in the habit of criticizing governments and leaders. - something that cannot be said about Russia's state owned media outlets - which somehow fail to be mentioned or be riled against. Bringing up "Nazi propaganda" is rather low, and of course, does little to dispel the sense of hyperbole emanating from  your posts.

 

Russia is not a victim here, and it never was. It is a country which often pushes the boundaries when it comes to international relations and accepted conduct. You wish to argue otherwise, go waste someone else's time.

 

Skripal and his daughter are British  citizens, whether you like to accept it or not. And if May wanted a look good black flag op, there are far more convenient and plausible targets which would net greater support at a lower risk. That you consider it all fits, doesn't make it so - it's just baseless conspiracy theory nonsense.

 

There is no "hysteria" about Russia. There's long term and ongoing Russian meddling in Western countries. From your post it seems that you either dismiss the notion altogether or wish for it to be ignored. Guess others see it differently, and no surprise. May is many things, crazy isn't one of them.

 

.