Calls For Further Russian Sanctions Following Salisbury Incident

Around 200 military personnel have been helping with decontamination following the nerve agent attack.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt says Russia's foreign policy "has made the world a more dangerous place" as he called for further sanctions. 

In a speech at the US Institute of Peace in Washington DC, Mr Hunt argued that values underpinning international rules that have kept citizens safe, are under threat from Russia.

His remarks follow the Salisbury nerve agent attack in March, where a former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned by the Soviet Union-era chemical 'Novichok'.

Both Sergei and Yulia Skripal were in a critical condition but have since recovered.

The incident sparked an international diplomatic row.

The UK blamed Russia for the attack, which also resulted in the death of a British woman, Dawn Sturgess, in June.

The Kremlin has strongly denied involvement.

Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats from the country, with many countries following the UK's decision. Russia responded by also expelling 23 UK diplomats from Moscow.

EU nations including Germany and France also expelled Russian diplomats over the incident but some countries have been questioning whether sanctions imposed over the 2014 annexation of Crimea should continue.

On Russia in particular, Mr Hunt said: "This March, the Russian government even used a nerve agent on the streets of Salisbury in Britain, in an attempt to assassinate Sergei and Yulia Skripal - one British citizen was tragically killed as a result.

"Such aggressive and malign behaviour undermines the international order that keeps us safe.

"Of course we must engage with Moscow, but we must also be blunt: Russia’s foreign policy under President Putin has made the world a more dangerous place.

“And today the United Kingdom asks its allies to go further by calling on the European Union to ensure its sanctions against Russia are comprehensive, and that we truly stand shoulder to shoulder with the US."

"That means calling out and responding to transgressions with one voice whenever and wherever they occur, from the streets of Salisbury to the fate of Crimea."

The Foreign Secretary's three-day visit to the United States will also involve talks with senior Trump administration officials on issues including Iran, North Korea, Syria, Yemen and more.

Mr Hunt is set to meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday, before flying to New York on Thursday where he will address the United Nations Security Council on the UK's joint work to fight so-called Islamic State.