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Kremlin: UK’s absence from Foreign Ministry briefing indicates reluctance to hear answers

Earlier reports said that UK Ambassador to Russia Laurie Bristow would not take part in today’s meeting on the Salisbury incident at the Russian Foreign Ministr

MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. The absence of Britain’s representative from the Russian Foreign Ministry’s briefing for foreign ambassadors indicates unwillingness to hear Russia’s answers to London’s questions, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"I cannot help saying that this is, perhaps, another telling manifestation of the absurd situation when questions are asked and reluctance to hear any answers is shown," he said.

According to the Kremlin spokesman, the situation in general should be evaluated in the Foreign Ministry itself. "This question should, of course, be addressed to the Foreign Ministry. It would not be quite correct for me to say anything," he added.

Earlier reports said that UK Ambassador to Russia Laurie Bristow would not take part in today’s meeting on the Salisbury incident at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the Foreign Ministry had invited all foreign ambassadors in Moscow to take part in a meeting with the top officials and experts of the Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department to discuss the Skripal case.

On March 4, former Russian military intelligence Colonel Sergey Skripal convicted in Russia of spying for Britain and his daughter Yulia were exposed to a nerve agent in the city of Salisbury. They were found unconscious on a bench near a shopping center. Both are currently in the hospital in critical condition. London accused Moscow of involvement in Skripal's poisoning declining to provide any evidence. British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that London would expel 23 Russian diplomats and take other measures against Moscow. Russia has vehemently denied its alleged involvement in the incident and took tit-for-tat steps that included expelling the same number of British diplomats from the country.