Australia weighs joining Theresa May’s action against Russia

Australia is considering joining the British PM Theresa May in retaliating against Russia over the poisoning of a double agent.

Malcolm Turnbull may join British Prime Minister Theresa May in retaliation against Russia. Picture: AFP

Australia is considering joining the United Kingdom in retaliating against Russia after Prime Minister Theresa May declared Britain will expel 23 Russian diplomats, cancel high level meetings and ban officials from attending the FIFA world cup in Russia.

In a speech to the House of Commons Ms May said the Russians had offered no explanation for the attempted assassination of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia or how they lost control of their chemical weapon.

She said Russia had not explained why it has an undeclared chemical weapons program in contravention of international law.

Mrs May said the request for information was treated by the Russians with ‘’sarcasm, contempt and defiance’’ and she could form no other conclusion than ‘’the Russian state is responsible’’ for the attempted assassination of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

In a strongly worded joint statement Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop suggested Australia would now consider joining the UK in acting against Russia.

“Australia is considering its responses in support of the United Kingdom, in close consultation with the UK Government and other partners,” the ministers said in the statement.

“We share the UK’s outrage over this targeted attempt to commit murder using chemical weapons.”

Mr Turnbull and Ms Bishop said Australia supports the UK “in the strongest possible terms” and backed Ms May’s attribution of the attack to Russia.

“Australia stands with the UK in solidarity and supports, in the strongest terms, Prime Minister May’s response to this heinous attack, the first use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War Two.”

“UK Prime Minister May has made a compelling case on the responsibility of the Russian State for this attack in an unlawful use of force by Russia against the United Kingdom and her people.”

Australia already has a frosty relationship with Russia since the downing of Malaysian Airways flight MH17. Canberra also imposed a sanctions regime against Russia before the disaster in March 2014 after the Russian incursions into the Ukraine, which was expanded in September of the same year after the flight was downed killing 38 Australians.

Asked whether Labor would support the government were Australia to pursue further sanctions, Labor foreign affairs spokesman Penny Wong said: “absolutely”.

“I agree with Ms Bishop’s comments about this and we should make sure we stand with Britain against these sorts of activities,” she told Sky News this week.

In addition to seeking an urgent hearing at the United Nations security council, Mrs May said Britain would introduce new laws to be able to hold suspects at the UK border, similar to the tough anti-terrorism laws. She said the UK would use existing powers to monitor and track those travelling to the UK, including private flights and freight. She also warned that corrupt Russian elites had no place in UK society, indicating that further economic sanctions of those oligarchs close to the Kremlin may be targeted.

Mrs May said Britain would also include Magnitsky style amendments to the sanctions to strengthen powers of any violation of human rights.

But Mrs May said it wasn’t in the national interest to break off all dialogue with Russia.

“It is not in the national interests to break off all dialogue with Russia but in the aftermath (of Salisbury attack) this relationship cannot be the same’’ she said.

She said Britain will suspend all high level bilateral contacts, and has revoked an invitation to the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to visit the UK and confirmed there would be no attendance of any politicians or Royals at the FIFA World Cup.

British Deputy High Commissioner to Australia Ingrid Southworth said the Russian action was not just an attack on Britain but on “all of us who believe in international law and rules based system”.

“The UK will not tolerate this sort of action on UK soil and we will continue to work with partners on our response,” Ms Southworth said.

“This is a part of a pattern of Russian behaviour from the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko through to the shooting down of MH 17 where sadly Australian lives were lost.”

She said Britain was “incredibly grateful” for the support of the Australian government’s statement of support.

Ms Southworth said she would continue to brief Australian officials over the situation but fell short of publicly asking the Turnbull government to impose additional sanctions on Russia.

“Clearly the Australian response is a matter for the Australian government but, as one of our closest national security partners, we will continue to work very closely with the Australian authorities in the days ahead,” she said.