UK accuses Russia of fostering instability throughout the world
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt has accused Russia of fostering instability around the world after allegations emerged showing that Russians were behind a hacking scheme that could affect the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
“Russian government needs to know that if they flout international law in this way there will be consequences, they will be exposed and people will see the Russian government for what they are - which is an organization that is trying to foster instability throughout the world,” Hunt said.
British intelligence authorities claimed Wednesday that Russia’s military was behind several high profile cyber-attacks over the past years and even attempted to hack into the OPCW, which is based in the Hague, the Netherlands.
Hunt said the new findings, which have been backed by Dutch intelligence officials, proved that Russia was certainly behind an alleged poisoning attack on a former Russian spy in the southern English city of Salisbury in March.
“If anyone had questions in their mind about Russian military involvement in the Salisbury attacks this will put to rest those doubts,” Hunt told the BBC without elaborating how the two issued were related to each other.
The top British diplomat, however, warned Russia of “consequences” if it continued to violate international norms.
“Russian government needs to know that if they flout international law in this way there will be consequences, they will be exposed ...,” he said.
Russian authorities reacted to new hackings allegations on Thursday and said they were simply unworthy.
“It’s some kind of a diabolical perfume cocktail (of allegations),” said Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding that the new accusations were the product of someone with a “rich imagination”.
Russian has consistently denied allegations about its role in the Salisbury incident in which Sergei Skripal and his daughter were allegedly poisoned with a Soviet-era military grade nerve agent.
Some Russian officials have even claimed that British intelligence agencies made up the entire story to implicate Russia amid Moscow’s efforts to mend ties with the West.
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