BLAGOVESHCHENSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th September, 2018) The Western states are trying to use the Salisbury poisoning incident as a means to provoke a new round of sanctions against Russia, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Sunday.
"They are certainly trying to turn us into an outsider country, into a malevolent member of the international community that neglects its obligations, and they are, ultimately, provoking a new round of sanctions," Nebenzia said in an interview for the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program, broadcast by the Russia 1 tv channel.
The senior diplomat added that the Western states were counting on "the exhaustion" of the Russian authorities.
"Of course, they [in the UN Security Council] subtly imply that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, the authorities are one thing, while the Russian people are another thing. This is certainly very naive, and, most importantly, far from being true, but yes, they have really placed their bets on the regime exhaustion," Nebenzia said.
He went on to say that Russia should act "withing the framework of decency" anyway.
"We are really acting prudently, reservedly. And I hope that the people who compare our country's stance, and the stances of the countries that bring these unfounded, groundless accusations against us, appreciate this," Nebenzia concluded.
The attempted poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK city of Salisbury on March 4 has caused tensions between Russia and the United Kingdom, as London and its allies are accusing Moscow of orchestrating the attack, which Moscow refutes. Recently, the UK authorities claimed that two Russian nationals, suspected of the attack, were tied to the Russian intelligence.
The incidents prompted the United States to introduce new sanctions against Russia on August 27, while a number of EU countries have expelled some of the Russian diplomats.
