German Chancellor Angela Merkel | Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images
On March 23, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that she would discuss new anti-Russia measures with France over the alleged poisoningof ex-double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter by a nerve agent.
Merkel added that UK Prime Minister Theresa May has provided the EU leaders with “certain evidence” allegedly confirming “the Russian trail” in the incident.
On the same day, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the issue.
“The United Kingdom yesterday shared with all [EU] member states the elements of evidence… France was asked for technical cooperation, and answered positively. We reached the same conclusions as our British partners. These conclusion allow us to clearly establish that the substance which was used [to poison Skripal]… originated in Russia,” the president said.
Macron claimed that France and Germany would soon take coordinated decisions over the Skripal case.
“This requires a coordinated and resolute response from the EU and its members. Several countries, including Germany and France, will soon make coordinated decisions,” Macron said at a joint news conference with Merkel in Brussels.
On March 22, EU leaders unanimously agreed with the British allegation that Russia is likely behind the Skripal incident and vowed to provide support to the UK in investigating the details of the attack and coordinating further actions.
