Report: Ambassador: Russia can retaliate further UK unfriendly steps

MOSCOW/LONDON, Mar 19 (PRIME) -- Russia reserves its right to retaliate further unfriendly moves by the U.K., Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko told Mail on Sunday in an interview released on March 18.

The Russian–U.K. relations became tense after poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May expelled 23 Russian diplomats and announced a freeze of all bilateral contacts on the level of high-ranking officials.

Yakovenko said, “In case of adoption of further unfriendly measures against Russia, the Russian side reserves the right to adopt further retaliation measures, we have told the British ambassador so on Saturday.”

He said that Russia will not respond with limiting energy sales. “Russia is a trustworthy exporter and has never broken its contracts. It is as true that the supplier depends on the client as the opposite.”

Russia remains a credible partner for the U.K. business because it is able to separate the political conflicts from business cooperation, Yakovenko said, adding that BP, Shell and AstraZeneka are among the largest U.K. companies having business in Russia.

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