On Monday 19 March, the foreign affairs ministers of the EU member states called on Russia to work with the United Kingdom on the investigation into the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury on 4 March. In a joint statement, the ministers described the poisoning as a "reckless and illegal act".
Saying that the EU took "extremely seriously the UK Government's assessment that it is highly likely that the Russian Federation is responsible", the EU's foreign ministers called on Russia "to address urgently the questions raised by the UK and the international community and to provide immediate, full and complete disclosure of its Novichok programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)". They also expressed their "unqualified" solidarity with the UK and their support, "including for the UK’s efforts to bring those responsible for this crime to justice".
"I hope the Russian president will agree to participate concretely, openly and transparently in the investigation into the events. It is particularly serious to see chemical weapons used", Belgium's Foreign Minister Didier Reynders stated when he arrived at the Council. According to France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Germany's, Hekio Mass, there is no other plausible explanation than Russia's responsibility.
The EU foreign ministers' statement does refer to any possible measures. "We will see when the situation is clear", Spain's Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis said.
The previous day, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who had been re-elected the same day with over 76% of the vote, denied his country's involvement in the attack, describing the British allegations as nonsense. His attitude was lambasted by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who said when he arrived in Brussels that Russia's denials were increasingly absurd.
The European Council is due in turn to deal with the issue on 22 and 23 March. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)