Earlier today, Russian officials called an emergency meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the Hague. Moscow said it wanted to "address allegations of non-compliance" with the chemical weapons convention made by the UK against Russia. Vladmir Putin's regime has repeatedly denied responsibility for the attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury last month. On Twitter, the Russian embassy in the Netherlands listed the 13 other countries which apparently supported its joint statement to the OPCW.

The countries listed were Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Nicaragua. But the UK Government accused Russia of attempting to undermine the OPCW, as well as engaging in "another diversionary tactic". It comes a day after the head of Porton Down said his scientists have not verified that the nerve agent used in Salisbury came from Russia. Taking aim at Russia, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "Russia has called this meeting to undermine the work of the OPCW. "Of course, there is no requirement in the chemical weapons convention for the victim of a chemical weapons attack to engage in a joint investigation with the likely perpetrator."

Today's meeting of the OPCW executive council at the Hague was held behind closed doors. Speaking during a visit to Turkey, Russian president Mr Putin called for a thorough investigation into the poisoning. In a furious broadside at the UK, he added: "The speed at which the anti-Russian campaign has been launched causes bewilderment." Theresa May successfully recruited international support in the dispute with Moscow following the shocking attack in Salisbury on April 4. It resulted in the expulsion of more than 100 Russian diplomats from more than 20 countries.

German politician Armin Laschet, an ally of Angela Merkel, said: "If one forces nearly all NATO countries into solidarity, shouldn't one have certain evidence? "Regardless of what one thinks about Russia, my study of international law taught me a different way to deal with other states." A Downing Street spokesman said: "As the Prime Minister has made clear, the UK would much rather have in Russia a constructive partner ready to play by the rules. "But this attack in Salisbury was part of a pattern of increasingly aggressive Russian behaviour, as well as a new and dangerous phase in Russian activity within the continent and beyond."</s>Russia has failed in its "ludicrous" bid for a joint UK/Russian investigation into the Salisbury attack, Boris Johnson has said.

Moscow called a meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague to insist its experts must be involved in the testing programme and probe.

But it lost the vote after Britain told the extraordinary meeting the demand was a sign Moscow was "nervous" of what the inquiries will find.

Mr Johnson said Russia's goal was to "obscure the truth and confuse the public".

The Foreign Secretary, who has faced claims he has exaggerated the evidence against Moscow, said countries around the world "continue to share our assessment" about the nerve-agent attack.

He said: "The purpose of Russia's ludicrous proposal at The Hague was clear - to undermine the independent, impartial work of the international chemical weapons watchdog.

"Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon - to obscure the truth and confuse the public.

"The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia's attempts today to derail the proper international process.

"It shows that many countries around the world continue to share our assessment of what happened in Salisbury and are determined to stand up to Russia's behaviour."

In a vote at OPCW, six of the 41 members backed Russia while 15 voted against, 17 abstained, two were absent, and one was not entitled to vote.

Nick Heath, deputy British ambassador to The Hague, said Russia had failed again in its attempts to "frustrate the process of justice".

Russian officials speaking after the meeting concluded said they had presented a "common sense" case and pointed to the "lies by Tony Blair" over Iraq as they criticised the intelligence about the attack.

Moscow has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday to discuss the case.

Only six of the 41 OPCW members voted in favour of the Russian draft decision proposing the joint UK/Russian investigation. 15 voted against, including the UK, 17 abstained, 2 were absent, and one was not entitled to vote.

UK ambassador John Foggo accused Russia of showing "disdain" for the independence of the international body, which is conducting tests on samples of the nerve agent used in the March 4 attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

He told the meeting: "The work of the Technical Secretariat must remain impartial.

"Russia's refusal to accept the results of the OPCW's investigation unless Russian experts participate in it suggests that Russia is opposed to the independence and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat and is nervous about what the results will show."

Mr Foggo said that Russia's statements displayed a "wilful ignorance" of the Chemical Weapons Convention and "disdain for the independence and competence" of the OPCW's Technical Secretariat.

The UK was backed by the European Union, which reaffirmed its support for Britain's demand for answers from Russia on how the Novichok agent which it developed came to be used in Salisbury.

Speaking on behalf of the EU, Bulgarian ambassador Krassimir Kostov said: "We have full confidence in the UK investigation and laud UK's collaboration with the OPCW Technical Secretariat, in full compliance with the convention."

Tension between Moscow and London has risen a notch after the head of the Porton Down military research facility said scientists had not verified Russia as the source of the substance used in the attack on the Skripals.

Vladimir Putin seized on the comments from the chief executive of the Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Gary Aitkenhead, as he accused the UK of launching an "anti-Russian campaign".

Russia has flatly denied UK claims that it was to blame for the March 4 attack, with foreign intelligence service director Sergei Naryshkin even claiming it was staged by the UK and US as a "provocation".

Mr Naryshkin told a global security conference in Moscow: "Even as far as the Skripal case goes - which is a grotesque provocation rudely staged by the British and US intelligence agencies - some European countries are in no hurry to follow London and Washington, preferring to sort the situation out."</s>Russia’s has failed in a “ludicrous” bid for a joint inquiry into the Salisbury attack at a meeting of the global weapons watchdog.

Russia called an emergency meeting of the decision-making executive of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to counter accusations it was behind the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

But it was outvoted by 15-6 in a vote in the Hague.

Boris Johnson branded the bid “ludicrous” and said Russia’s goal was to “obscure the truth and confuse the public.”

The Foreign Secretary, who is under pressure for wrongly claiming Porton Down scientists had pointed the finger at Russia for the attack, said countries around the world "continue to share our assessment" of the incident.

He said: "The purpose of Russia's ludicrous proposal at The Hague was clear - to undermine the independent, impartial work of the international chemical weapons watchdog.

"Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon - to obscure the truth and confuse the public.

"The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia's attempts today to derail the proper international process.

"It shows that many countries around the world continue to share our assessment of what happened in Salisbury and are determined to stand up to Russia's behaviour."

In a vote at OPCW, six of the 41 members backed Russia while 15 voted against, 17 abstained, two were absent, and one was not entitled to vote.

Nick Heath, deputy British ambassador to The Hague, said Russia had failed again in its attempts to "frustrate the process of justice".

Russian officials speaking after the meeting concluded said they had presented a "common sense" case and pointed to the "lies by Tony Blair " over Iraq as they criticised the intelligence about the attack.

Moscow has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday to discuss the case.

Only six of the 41 OPCW members voted in favour of the Russian draft decision proposing the joint UK/Russian investigation. 15 voted against, including the UK, 17 abstained, 2 were absent, and one was not entitled to vote.

UK ambassador John Foggo accused Russia of showing "disdain" for the independence of the international body, which is conducting tests on samples of the nerve agent used in the March 4 attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

He told the meeting: "The work of the Technical Secretariat must remain impartial.

"Russia's refusal to accept the results of the OPCW's investigation unless Russian experts participate in it suggests that Russia is opposed to the independence and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat and is nervous about what the results will show."

Russia has flatly denied UK claims that it was to blame for the March 4 attack, with foreign intelligence service director Sergei Naryshkin even claiming it was staged by the UK and US as a "provocation".</s>Russian President Putin said he hopes the upcoming UN chemical watchdog meeting will put to rest the UK's accusations against Russia in the Skripal poisoning case, adding that 20 other countries could produce the nerve agent used.Putin said in Ankara, where he held a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.In a rare comment on the case, in which the UK is accusing Moscow of poisoning former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a military-grade nerve agent, Putin said he was baffled by how quickly the incident turned into a full-blown attack on Russia."It's surprising how quickly an anti-Russian campaign unfolded," Putin said.based on allegations that it was "highly likely" that Russia was involved. London demands that Moscow admits its guilt, but investigators are yet to draw any definitive conclusions or produce proof pointing to Russian involvement."As you know, I learned about the incident from media reports," Putin said. "I would only like to add that according to international experts, about 20 countries around the world are able to produce similar nerve agents."Earlier the Russian Foreign Ministry published a list of 13 questions for the OPCW, focusing on its interactions with UK investigators in the Skripal case, the process of sample collection at the scene of the poisoning, and France's involvement in the probe. Questions concerning the probe have also been handed to the UK and France. Moscow maintains that the entire Skripal case has been a false flag operation against Russia.Russia has launched its own criminal investigation into the poisoning. "We want to be allowed to participate in the investigation and we are counting on receiving the respective materials, since it involves Russian citizens," Putin said.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday told media he expects London to eventually apologize for its baseless allegations against Russia. He cited the fresh admission by Porton Down chemical lab's chief that the nerve agent could not be traced back to Russia, as a "strong argument" against the "insane accusations" made by British Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.</s>Earlier today, Russian officials called an emergency meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the Hague. Moscow said it wanted to "address allegations of non-compliance" with the chemical weapons convention made by the UK against Russia. Vladmir Putin's regime has repeatedly denied responsibility for the attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury last month. On Twitter, the Russian embassy in the Netherlands listed the 13 other countries which apparently supported its joint statement to the OPCW.

The countries listed were Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Nicaragua. But the UK Government accused Russia of attempting to undermine the OPCW, as well as engaging in "another diversionary tactic". It comes a day after the head of Porton Down said his scientists have not verified that the nerve agent used in Salisbury came from Russia. Taking aim at Russia, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "Russia has called this meeting to undermine the work of the OPCW. "Of course, there is no requirement in the chemical weapons convention for the victim of a chemical weapons attack to engage in a joint investigation with the likely perpetrator."

Today's meeting of the OPCW executive council at the Hague was held behind closed doors. Speaking during a visit to Turkey, Russian president Mr Putin called for a thorough investigation into the poisoning. In a furious broadside at the UK, he added: "The speed at which the anti-Russian campaign has been launched causes bewilderment." Theresa May successfully recruited international support in the dispute with Moscow following the shocking attack in Salisbury on April 4. It resulted in the expulsion of more than 100 Russian diplomats from more than 20 countries.

German politician Armin Laschet, an ally of Angela Merkel, said: "If one forces nearly all NATO countries into solidarity, shouldn't one have certain evidence? "Regardless of what one thinks about Russia, my study of international law taught me a different way to deal with other states." A Downing Street spokesman said: "As the Prime Minister has made clear, the UK would much rather have in Russia a constructive partner ready to play by the rules. "But this attack in Salisbury was part of a pattern of increasingly aggressive Russian behaviour, as well as a new and dangerous phase in Russian activity within the continent and beyond."

Shortly before the emergency meeting, Moscow claimed a relative of Sergei and Yulia Skripal is planning to visit the pair in hospital. A spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said that Viktoria Skripal had been in contact with the Russian Embassy in London. The spokeswoman added: "Viktoria Skripal plans to visit her relatives in the UK to provide moral and psychological support. "We consider this an absolutely natural and sincere desire, and especially important now, as Yulia Skripal's condition has reportedly improved." Ms Skripal is understood to be the niece of former spy Sergei, who remains in a critical condition at Salisbury District Hospital.</s>Russia has failed in its “ludicrous” bid for a joint UK/Russian investigation into the Salisbury attack, Boris Johnson has said.

Moscow called a meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague to insist its experts must be involved in the testing programme and probe.

But it lost the vote after Britain told the extraordinary meeting the demand was a sign Moscow was “nervous” of what the inquiries will find.

Mr Johnson said Russia’s goal was to “obscure the truth and confuse the public”.

The Foreign Secretary, who has faced claims he has exaggerated the evidence against Moscow, said countries around the world “continue to share our assessment” about the nerve-agent attack.

He said: “The purpose of Russia’s ludicrous proposal at The Hague was clear – to undermine the independent, impartial work of the international chemical weapons watchdog.

“Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon – to obscure the truth and confuse the public.

“The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia’s attempts today to derail the proper international process.

“It shows that many countries around the world continue to share our assessment of what happened in Salisbury and are determined to stand up to Russia’s behaviour.”

In a vote at OPCW, six of the 41 members backed Russia while 15 voted against, 17 abstained, two were absent, and one was not entitled to vote.

Nick Heath, deputy British ambassador to The Hague, said Russia had failed again in its attempts to “frustrate the process of justice”.

Russian officials speaking after the meeting concluded said they had presented a “common sense” case and pointed to the “lies by Tony Blair” over Iraq as they criticised the intelligence about the attack.

Moscow has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday to discuss the case.

Only six of the 41 OPCW members voted in favour of the Russian draft decision proposing the joint UK/Russian investigation. 15 voted against, including the UK, 17 abstained, 2 were absent, and one was not entitled to vote.

UK ambassador John Foggo accused Russia of showing “disdain” for the independence of the international body, which is conducting tests on samples of the nerve agent used in the March 4 attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

He told the meeting: “The work of the Technical Secretariat must remain impartial.

“Russia’s refusal to accept the results of the OPCW’s investigation unless Russian experts participate in it suggests that Russia is opposed to the independence and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat and is nervous about what the results will show.”

Mr Foggo said that Russia’s statements displayed a “wilful ignorance” of the Chemical Weapons Convention and “disdain for the independence and competence” of the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat.

The UK was backed by the European Union, which reaffirmed its support for Britain’s demand for answers from Russia on how the Novichok agent which it developed came to be used in Salisbury.

Speaking on behalf of the EU, Bulgarian ambassador Krassimir Kostov said: “We have full confidence in the UK investigation and laud UK’s collaboration with the OPCW Technical Secretariat, in full compliance with the convention.”

Tension between Moscow and London has risen a notch after the head of the Porton Down military research facility said scientists had not verified Russia as the source of the substance used in the attack on the Skripals.

Vladimir Putin seized on the comments from the chief executive of the Government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Gary Aitkenhead, as he accused the UK of launching an “anti-Russian campaign”.

Russia has flatly denied UK claims that it was to blame for the March 4 attack, with foreign intelligence service director Sergei Naryshkin even claiming it was staged by the UK and US as a “provocation”.

Mr Naryshkin told a global security conference in Moscow: “Even as far as the Skripal case goes – which is a grotesque provocation rudely staged by the British and US intelligence agencies – some European countries are in no hurry to follow London and Washington, preferring to sort the situation out.”</s>Earlier today, Russian officials called an emergency meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the Hague. Moscow said it wanted to "address allegations of non-compliance" with the chemical weapons convention made by the UK against Russia. Vladmir Putin's regime has repeatedly denied responsibility for the attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury last month. On Twitter, the Russian embassy in the Netherlands listed the 13 other countries which apparently supported its joint statement to the OPCW.

The countries listed were Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Nicaragua. But the UK Government accused Russia of attempting to undermine the OPCW, as well as engaging in "another diversionary tactic". It comes a day after the head of Porton Down said his scientists have not verified that the nerve agent used in Salisbury came from Russia. Taking aim at Russia, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "Russia has called this meeting to undermine the work of the OPCW. "Of course, there is no requirement in the chemical weapons convention for the victim of a chemical weapons attack to engage in a joint investigation with the likely perpetrator."

Today's meeting of the OPCW executive council at the Hague was held behind closed doors. Speaking during a visit to Turkey, Russian president Mr Putin called for a thorough investigation into the poisoning. In a furious broadside at the UK, he added: "The speed at which the anti-Russian campaign has been launched causes bewilderment." Theresa May successfully recruited international support in the dispute with Moscow following the shocking attack in Salisbury on April 4. It resulted in the expulsion of more than 100 Russian diplomats from more than 20 countries.

German politician Armin Laschet, an ally of Angela Merkel, said: "If one forces nearly all NATO countries into solidarity, shouldn't one have certain evidence? "Regardless of what one thinks about Russia, my study of international law taught me a different way to deal with other states." A Downing Street spokesman said: "As the Prime Minister has made clear, the UK would much rather have in Russia a constructive partner ready to play by the rules. "But this attack in Salisbury was part of a pattern of increasingly aggressive Russian behaviour, as well as a new and dangerous phase in Russian activity within the continent and beyond."</s>Russia’s has failed in a “ludicrous” bid for a joint inquiry into the Salisbury attack at a meeting of the global weapons watchdog.

Russia called an emergency meeting of the decision-making executive of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to counter accusations it was behind the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

But it was outvoted by 15-6 in a vote in the Hague.

Boris Johnson branded the bid “ludicrous” and said Russia’s goal was to “obscure the truth and confuse the public.”

The Foreign Secretary, who is under pressure for wrongly claiming Porton Down scientists had pointed the finger at Russia for the attack, said countries around the world "continue to share our assessment" of the incident.

He said: "The purpose of Russia's ludicrous proposal at The Hague was clear - to undermine the independent, impartial work of the international chemical weapons watchdog.

"Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon - to obscure the truth and confuse the public.

"The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia's attempts today to derail the proper international process.

"It shows that many countries around the world continue to share our assessment of what happened in Salisbury and are determined to stand up to Russia's behaviour."

In a vote at OPCW, six of the 41 members backed Russia while 15 voted against, 17 abstained, two were absent, and one was not entitled to vote.

Nick Heath, deputy British ambassador to The Hague, said Russia had failed again in its attempts to "frustrate the process of justice".

Russian officials speaking after the meeting concluded said they had presented a "common sense" case and pointed to the "lies by Tony Blair " over Iraq as they criticised the intelligence about the attack.

Moscow has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday to discuss the case.

Only six of the 41 OPCW members voted in favour of the Russian draft decision proposing the joint UK/Russian investigation. 15 voted against, including the UK, 17 abstained, 2 were absent, and one was not entitled to vote.

UK ambassador John Foggo accused Russia of showing "disdain" for the independence of the international body, which is conducting tests on samples of the nerve agent used in the March 4 attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

He told the meeting: "The work of the Technical Secretariat must remain impartial.

"Russia's refusal to accept the results of the OPCW's investigation unless Russian experts participate in it suggests that Russia is opposed to the independence and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat and is nervous about what the results will show."

Russia has flatly denied UK claims that it was to blame for the March 4 attack, with foreign intelligence service director Sergei Naryshkin even claiming it was staged by the UK and US as a "provocation".</s>THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Russia’s call for a joint inquiry to be held into the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in England failed on Wednesday when it was outvoted 15-6 at a meeting of the global chemical weapons watchdog.

Russia had called an emergency meeting of the decision-making executive of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to counter accusations by Britain that it was behind the March 4 nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England.

UK’s security services believe they have pinpointed the location of Russian laboratory that manufactured the nerve agent Novichok used in Salisbury attack, The Times reported on Wednesday. Britain was aware of the existence of the site before March 4, the report said.

It cited an unidentified security source as saying they have a “high degree of confidence in the location”.

Britain’s charges of Russian involvement, strongly denied by Moscow, have triggered mass expulsions of diplomats by both Britain’s allies in the West, including the United States, and similar retaliatory action by Russia.

When the meeting convened on Wednesday, Russia proposed a joint investigation into the poisoning as it was not invited to participate in an independent probe being carried out by the OPCW at Britain’s request, results of which are due next week.

Britain called the Russian proposal for a joint investigation a “perverse” attempt to escape blame for the poisoning of the Skripals, and part of a disinformation campaign mounted by Moscow.

Russia’s proposal in the end drew support from China, Azerbaijan, Sudan, Algeria and Iran, a source told Reuters, with U.S. and European members voting against the plan. There were 17 abstentions among members of the organization’s 41-member council, only 38 of whose members were present and eligible to vote on Wednesday.

Related Coverage UK welcomes Russia defeat on joint chemical weapons inquiry

Russia’s ambassador to the OPCW, Aleksander Shulgin, confirmed that the vote had been lost.

RUSSIA CALL TO SECURITY COUNCIL

Separately on Wednesday, Russia requested a public meeting of the United Nations Security Council on April 5 to discuss the British accusations against Moscow, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said.

British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson welcomed Russia’s defeat.

“Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon - to obscure the truth and confuse the public,” he said in a statement.

“The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia’s attempts today to derail the proper international process.”

The closed-door OPCW meeting itself triggered sharp verbal exchanges between the Britain and Russia’s representatives.

In a tweet, the British delegation called Moscow’s idea for a joint investigation “a diversionary tactic, and yet more disinformation designed to evade the questions the Russians authorities must answer”.

Police officers guard the cordoned off area around the home of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, Britain, April 3, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

John Foggo, Britain’s acting envoy, said Russian assertions that the attack may have been carried out by Britain, the United States or Sweden were “shameless, preposterous statements”.

Shulgin, at a news conference, said the vote showed more than half of the OPCW’s members had “refused to associate themselves with the West’s point of view” - referring to those who voted in favor of Russia’s proposal or abstained.

He repeated that Russia had had nothing to do with the attack on the Skripals, which he said looked like “a terrorist attack.”

Britain’s remarks were “a dirty flow of complete lies ... outright Russia-phobia,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday the OPCW should draw a line under a case that has triggered the worst crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War.

Scientists at the Porton Down biological and chemical weapons laboratory in England have concluded that the toxin was among a category of Soviet-era nerve agents called Novichok, though could not yet determine whether it was made in Russia.

TAKING SAMPLES

The OPCW, which oversees the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, has taken samples from the site of the Salisbury attack and is expected to provide results from testing at two designated laboratories next week.

Shulgin said earlier that if Moscow was prevented from taking part in the testing of the Salisbury toxin samples, it would reject the outcome of the OPCW research.

Slideshow (2 Images)

Russia’s request to open a parallel, joint Russian-British inquiry has been portrayed by Western powers as an attempt to undermine the investigation by OPCW scientists.

The EU said it was very concerned Moscow was considering rejecting the OPCW findings.

Instead of cooperating with the OPCW, Russia had unleashed “a flood of insinuations targeting EU member states ... This is completely unacceptable,” an EU statement read to the council session said.

Skripal, 66, a former Russian military intelligence officer who betrayed scores of Russian agents to Britain and was exchanged in a Russia-West spy swap, remains in a critical but stable condition. His daughter, Yulia, 33, has shown signs of improvement.</s>Russia has sent a dire warning to fifteen countries over the Salisbury attack

Yesterday Russia lost a vote in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) after demanding access to the details of the Sergei Skripal investigation.

Today Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko listed out the 15 countries who voted against allowing Russia access, and accused them of voting “against transparency”.

In a thinly-veiled warning, he said: “They voted against access to full and fair information.”

He said: “It was quite an interesting result. Fifteen countries voted against that decision - against transparency.

“This is mostly the countries of the EU and NATO. We’re talking about Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, UK, US, Australia, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy and a few more, two countries more who are not part of NATO.”

He claimed the UK had misled the world and most countries did not support Mrs May.
At a meeting of the OPCW, 17 of the 41 countries abstain from a vote on not allowing Russia to participate in the inquiry. 15 countries vote in favour and six against. Three countries were not present at the meeting.