Thread by @Charles_Lister

UK’s @AmbassadorAllen:

#Novichok is not a weapon that can be manufactured by non-state actors… #Russia has provided no credible explanation… Therefore, we have no alternative but to conclude that the #Russian state was responsible [for a chemical weapons attack on my country].

This was an attack on #UK soil… #Russia is failing to comply with the conditions of the Chemical Weapons Convention…

Let us turn to the part of the CWC that #Russia is not talking about - Russia did not declare #Novichok & is therefore in serious breach of the CWC.

This was a reckless act… #Russia officials have repeatedly threatened those they consider traitors, before & after March 4 attack.

Russia has a history of political assassinations, interfering in other countries & a total disregard for civilian life.

#Russia has shown through its protection of Assad’s chemical weapons use in #Syria that it holds different standards on this issue.

We have all seen the recent threats from #Moscow & no doubt these will continue.

.@nikkihaley:

The U.S believes that #Russia is responsible for the CW attack in #Salisbury.

#Moscow has used its veto x5 times to cover #Assad’s use of chemical weapons in #Syria.

If Russia stopped using CWs to assassinate its enemies overseas… we might stop criticizing you.

If we don’t take concrete measures now [in response to #Salisbury], chemical weapons will continue to be used - even here in New York.

We have a responsibility to make #Russia accountable.

#Russia’s UN Amb:

The #UK has made completely irresponsible statements that I cannot even comment on using acceptable vocabulary…

Why has this issue been dragged to the UN Security Council?

We were given 24hrs to respond to an ultimatum - this is completely unacceptable.

#Russia’s UN Amb unsubtly using a little reverse psychology:

We have seen announcements about a possible cyber attack on #Moscow - this would not be met with inaction from our side.

You are using propaganda warfare against us, to influence an uneducated general public.

#Moscow's UN Amb:

No research has ever been conducted in #Russia within anything called #Novichok.

The most probable source of origin of this nerve agent is in the countries who have researched Soviet agents, like the UK, not Russia.

#Russia’s UN Amb, @NebenziaUN, is - in a long-winded way - trying to describe how the #Salisbury attack was a “false flag” committed by the UK in an attempt to pin it on #Moscow.

We’ve head this all before - with regards to #Syria. Not exactly convincing.

#Russia’s UN Amb, @NebenziaUN:

Hearing your invectives against us is odd, especially when you have no evidence.

This incident has no benefit to #Russia, but I can name a number of countries who do stand to gain - but I won’t name them here.

#Russia’s UN Amb, @NebenziaUN calls on UK government officials to “give up your colonial habits” and “come back to the rule of law.”

We could all do with a Sherlock Holmes in this [UN Security] Council.

We have nothing to fear & nothing to hide.

UK’s @AmbassadorAllen at UNSC:

- We believe in the international rules-based system…

I described the Chemical Weapons Convention in some detail… As per CWC Article 9, we asked #Russia for an explanation - their response was to consider our question "null and void.”

UK’s @AmbassadorAllen at UNSC:

You ask us why we wanted a quick answer… because delaying is part-in-parcel of #Russia’s playbook - delay, delay, delay and distract… We learned that lesson after #Litvinenko."

You have to admit, @McFaul might be onto something here…

#Russia #Salisbury #Novichok

#Russia logic:

.@mfa_russia’s Zakharova - 'When in the center of Great Britain, chemical weapons are used, this is a very serious matter…'

@lindseyhilsum - 'So you do accept that this was a chemical weapons attack?'

Zakharova - 'We don’t know. We have no information on this.'