German official warns against 'spiral of escalation' over Skripal poisoning

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Gernot Erler, the German government's official representative for Russian affairs, issued a warning on Thursday against further Western escalation in response to the poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal.

"I think one must realize the risk of a spiral of escalation, and say, let's take a break," Erler told public broadcaster ARD.

He emphasized that the results from an investigation carried out by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) would only become available as of next week.

Russia loses bid for joint inquiry into ex-spy poisoning

Police stand outside a pub near to where former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious after they had been exposed to an unknown substance, in Salisbury, Britain, March 7, 2018. /Reuters Photo

The OPCW was asked to contribute its own independent expertise to the Skripal case by the British government after local investigators failed to detect any evidence that the chemical agent used in the incident was produced in Russia. Erler argued that it was important to maintain open channels of communication with Moscow until there was greater clarity.

According to the German representative, the onus was now on London to provide proof to substantiate the serious accusations it had made against Russia so far. Following a British and US-led initiative, several Western countries including Germany have already expelled over 130 Russian diplomats in an unprecedented diplomatic move.

Several senior German politicians have since attacked Berlin for what they perceive as a hasty move grounded in assumptions rather than fact.

Moscow interprets the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter as a conspiracy by US and British intelligence services to raise pressure on Russia. A special session of the United Nations Security Council is scheduled to discuss the case on Thursday.

Representatives and employees of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons arrive at the headquarters for a special council about the Sergei Skripal case in The Hague, Netherlands, April 04, 2018. /VCG Photo

Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in Britain along with her father Sergei, has phoned her cousin in Russia and said they are both recovering and that she expects to leave hospital soon, Russian state TV and the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday.

State TV and Interfax said Yulia Skripal had allegedly phoned Viktoria Skripal on Wednesday evening and said: “Everything is fine, everything is fixable, everyone is getting better, everyone is alive.”

When asked about her father’s health, Yulia was cited as saying: “Everything is fine, he is resting right now, sleeping. Everyone’s health is fine, nobody has any problems that can’t be put right. I will soon be discharging myself (from the hospital).”

Viktoria Skripal, Yulia’s cousin and Sergei’s niece, has said she plans to travel to England and try to bring Yulia back to Russia.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency