Russia faced a fresh wave of international condemnation over the Salisbury spy poisoning as it claimed Britain was lying about the latest developments in the case.
Moscow was accused of “playing dice” with the lives of people living in the Wiltshire city by the UK during an emergency debate at the United Nations.
The US warned the world should be “chilled to the bone” by the developments set out in recent days.
US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau earlier issued a joint statement with Theresa May agreeing with the British assessment that the operation was “almost certainly approved at a senior government level” in Moscow.
On Wednesday, two Russian nationals – Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov – said to be members of Russia’s military intelligence service the GRU, were identified as suspects by police investigating the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in March.
GCHQ head Jeremy Fleming warned that Russia poses an “active” threat during a speech in Washington.
He called on the international community to reject the Kremlin’s “brazen determination to undermine the international rules-based order”.
But Russia claimed the UK had been “mendacious” and was trying to unleash “disgusting anti-Russian hysteria” during talks at the United Nations.