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8343rd Security Council Meeting: Letter from United Kingdom
The United Kingdom’s delegate, in an emergency session today, briefed the Security Council on her country’s decision to bring charges against two nationals of the Russian Federation in connection with the reported Salisbury nerve agent attack, prompting the latter to reject those allegations as a vehicle for “anti‑Russian hysteria” and part of a “post-truth world” crafted by Western countries.
“We have clear evidence of Russian State involvement in what happened in Salisbury,” said Karen Pierce (United Kingdom), outlining new information recently announced by an independent investigation carried out in her country. Reviewing the events in Salisbury in March — during which Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, along with one other individual, were found unconscious and the Novichok nerve agent was identified as the cause of their condition — she said that, in July, another couple came into contact with a counterfeit perfume bottle and similarly fell ill. One of them died as a result of her exposure.
Since that time, she said, prosecutors have concluded that enough evidence exists to bring charges against two nationals of the Russian Federation — identified as officers of the Russian Military Intelligence Service — including on conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal, attempted murder and the illegal possession of the Novichok agent. Listing evidence including closed‑circuit television footage, photographs and chemicals founds in the men’s hotel room, she said a European arrest warrant and an International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Red Notice have been issued for the suspects. She also condemned the Russian Federation, a permanent Council member, for having “played dice with the lives of the people of Salisbury” instead of upholding critical international norms.
The representative of the Russian Federation said those allegations only amount to more lies on the part of the United Kingdom’s delegation. Emphasizing that Moscow has sent numerous requests to the United Kingdom inviting cooperation on the investigation — which London has only refused — he stressed that British authorities care little about the real facts of the case. In fact, they only seek to sow anti-Russian hysteria. Citing inconsistencies in the new allegations, he said it remains impossible to know the real names of the suspects and therefore whether they are connected to the Russian Military Intelligence Service. The charges are yet another part of the “post-truth world” crafted by Western countries, he stressed, rejecting today’s sensational disclosures, as well as all unfounded allegations about his Government’s involvement in the Salisbury events.
Several other Council members, condemning the use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances, voiced their support for the findings of the British investigation. France’s representative, extending his country’s solidarity with the United Kingdom, commended that Government and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for the way in which the investigation was conducted. “The facts are clear,” he said, noting that such an operation as the one in Salisbury could only be launched and approved at a very high level of the Russian State. The use of chemical weapons cannot be considered an option at the beginning of the twenty-first century, he stressed, voicing support for the development of a European Union sanctions regime to prevent the proliferation of such materials.
The representative of Sweden called on the Russian Federation to change course and fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation and prosecution. Agreeing that the latest information from the British investigation provides further evidence of the high likelihood of the Russian Federation’s responsibility for the attack, he reiterated his country’s strong condemnation of the use of a nerve agent on British soil. “Once again, in this Chamber, we condemn in the strongest terms all use of chemical weapons, strictly prohibited under international law,” he said.
Bolivia’s delegate struck a different tone, joining those speakers who emphasized the need for restraint in levying accusations against Council members. Reiterating the need for a transparent, apolitical and impartial investigation into the Salisbury incident, she warned against “slinging allegations” in the Chamber and called on the concerned parties to use diplomatic channels to ensure mutual cooperation and dialogue to resolve the issue.
Also speaking were representatives of Peru, Poland, Kuwait, Netherlands, Côte d’Ivoire, China, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea and the United States.
The meeting began at 11:38 a.m. and ended at 12:55 p.m.
