Theresa May calls on the European Union to get tough over threat posed by Russia
2 min read
Theresa May will today call on European Union leaders to stand together against the threat posed by Russia "for years to come".
The Prime Minister will speak out at the first EU Council summit in Brussels since the nerve agent attack against former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia.
She will also pledge that Britain will stand "shoulder to shoulder" with the EU and Nato against Vladimir Putin even after Brexit.
Mrs May is seeking the EU’s unanimous condemnation of the Kremlin over the the poisoning in Salisbury.
Addressing her fellow leaders, Mrs May will say: "The challenge of Russia is one that will endure for years to come.
"As a European democracy the United Kingdom will stand shoulder to shoulder with the European Union and with Nato to face these threats together. United, we will succeed."
Relations between the UK and Moscow plumbed new depths last night when a Russian official said Boris Johnson was “poisoned with hate and boorishness” after the Foreign Secretary compared the country to Nazi Germany.
Speaking to MPs yesterday, Mr Johnson was asked by Labour MP Ian Austin whether Vladimir Putin would use the international football competition as a propaganda coup as Adolf Hitler had done with the Olympics in Germany in 1936.
Mr Johnson replied: "I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right and I think it’s an emetic prospect, frankly, to think of Putin glorying in this sporting event".
But the comments sparked fury in Moscow with a Russian foreign ministry spokesman declaring that Mr Johsnon was “poisoned with venom of hate, unprofessionalism and boorishness”.
Maria Zakharova added: “It’s scary to remember that this person represents the political leadership of a nuclear power.”
Elsewhere at the EU Council meeting, leaders are expected to rubber-stamp the post-Brexit transition deal announced on Monday by Michel Barnier and David Davis.
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