EU's High representative for foreign affairs and security policy Federica Mogherini spoke to the press as she arrived on the first day of a summit of European Union (EU) leaders at the EU headquarters in Brussels, on March 22, 2018

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Brussels (AFP)

The EU's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini held crisis talks with the bloc's ambassador to Moscow Sunday after he was recalled over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England. The meeting took place after on Thursday, the European Council sided with London in claiming that Moscow was "highly likely" behind the recent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the UK city of Salisbury and the EU leaders then agreed to recall Ederer for consultations. "High Representative Federica Mogherini held today consultations with the Head of European Union Delegation in the Russian Federation, Markus Ederer, who has arrived in Brussels after having been recalled for consultations as requested by the European Council on Friday," the statement said. Ederer will continue consultations with EU officials in the coming days, the EU External Service added in its press release. Asked in Brussels if Lithuania was also considering expelling Russian diplomats, President Dalia Grybauskaite said: "The united response was yesterday and, from the beginning of next week, a lot of countries will go for our national measures." Britain and Russia have expelled 23 of each other's diplomats in tit-for-tat exchanges, while Moscow has also shut down the operations of the British Council cultural organisation in its territory.
EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini holds crisis talks with Markus Ederer, the bloc's recalled ambassador to Russia.