Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia has warned the United Kingdom Government that it is playing with fire by accusing Moscow of being behind the last month's nerve agent attack on former Russian spy and his daughter.
Vassily Nebenzia issued the warning on Thursday at a UN Security Council meeting in New York, called by Russia to discuss the diplomatic fallout from the poisoning of the former double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia.
According to him
"I don't even know what to say, it's some sort of theatre of the absurd, couldn't you come up with a better fake story? We have told our British colleagues that 'you're playing with fire and you'll be sorry'."
His statement is coming when diplomatic tensions between both countries have been on the rise after UK and its allies accused Russia of carrying out a nerve-agent attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the southern English city of Salisbury last month.
Speaking also at the Security Council, UK's ambassador Karen Pierce said Britain's actions "stand up to any scrutiny" and pledged to keep the 15-member body updated on the inquiry.
"All we've done has been consistent with the chemical weapons convention. We have nothing to hide ... but I do fear that Russia might have something to fear."
Al Jazeera reports that the UK had refused to allow Russia to join its investigation into the incident but had passed on a Russian request for consular access to Yulia Skripal.
Meanwhile, the US Deputy Ambassador, Kelley Currie insisted that Russia was behind the attack. "We have stated previously and do so again today our firm belief that Russia is responsible for this chemical weapons attack on UK soil," an allegation that Russia said was totally false.
"Novichok is not copyrighted by Russia in spite of the obviously Russian name. The US and Britain had both developed the nerve agent, and may have used same," Nebenzia insisted.
