The White House concurs with the U.K. government’s assessment that the Russian government was behind a recent chemical attack on British soil, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a Wednesday evening statement.
“The United States stands in solidarity with its closest ally, the United Kingdom. The United States shares the United Kingdom’s assessment that Russia is responsible for the reckless nerve agent attack on a British citizen and his daughter, and we support the United Kingdom’s decision to expel Russian diplomats as a just response,” Sanders said.
The attack targeted Russian national Sergei Skripal and his daughter, both of whom remain in critical condition.
Sanders’ statement follows British Prime Minister Theresa May’s declaration Wednesday that her government will expel 23 Russian intelligence agents from her country masquerading as diplomats.
“This will be the single biggest expulsion for over 30 years and it reflects the fact that this is not the first time the Russian state has acted against our country,” May said. “This was not just an act of attempted murder in Salisbury — nor just an act against UK. It is an affront to the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.”
BREAKING: Britain will expel 23 Russian diplomats in response to poisoning of ex-spy https://t.co/OQV7nnLx2v pic.twitter.com/WMUenneKBk
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