Putin’s officials in bizarre online ‘threat’ to Theresa May after she warns about danger of Russian meddling
The Russian foreign ministry posted an image of the PM drinking wine after she attacked Putin in a speech.
RUSSIAN officials trolled Theresa May online today after she warned the Putin regime against meddling in other countries.
The PM said in a message to Russia last night: "We know what you are doing. And you will not succeed."
But today the country's foreign ministry hit back at Mrs May in a mocking tweet.
Officials said: "#UK Prime Minister @theresa_may on @Russia: 'We know what you are doing'. We know what YOU are doing as well."
Sharing a photograph of her from last night drinking a glass of wine, the tweet added: "Dear Theresa, we hope, one day you will try Crimean #Massandra red wine".
Massandra is a well-known winery in Crimea - seized by Russia from Ukraine three years ago - which Vladimir Putin visited with Silvio Berlusconi in 2015.
The pair cracked open a bottle of sherry from 1775, worth £60,000, during their tour of the firm.
Russian officials have repeatedly used online mockery to target Western governments, trolling politicians and organisations which stand up to the country.
Last night, the Prime Minister warned of a Kremlin bid to "weaponise information" and made an "unconditional" pledge to maintain European security post Brexit.
The PM said Moscow was the biggest threat to Europe’s security as she listed its illegal land grab of Crimea, its violation of foreign nations’ airspace and its “sustained campaign of espionage and disruption” as chief among its crimes.
Warning of the "scale and nature" of the threat posed by Russia as she addressed the Lord Mayor's Banquet at the City of London's Guildhall, Mrs May said: "The UK will remain unconditionally committed to maintaining Europe's security.
"And the comprehensive new economic partnership we seek will underpin our shared commitment to open economies and free societies in the face of those who seek to undermine them.
"Chief among those today, of course, is Russia."
Mrs May spoke of Russia's "sustained campaign of cyber espionage and disruption", including "meddling in elections" and hacking foreign ministries and parliaments.
She said Moscow was planting fake news and "photoshopped images" in an attempt to "sow discord in the West and undermine our institutions".
In a show of strength Mrs May continued: "We know what you are doing. And you will not succeed.
"Because you underestimate the resilience of our democracies, the enduring attraction of free and open societies, and the commitment of Western nations to the alliances that bind us.
"The UK will do what is necessary to protect ourselves, and work with our allies to do likewise."
Her words were in stark contrast to the stance taken by Donald Trump, who has repeatedly dismissed claims Russia meddled in the US election.
Mrs May also used her speech to reveal Britain is bolstering its protection of the financial industry from cyber attacks.
And she announced that the Government was looking into tightening financial regimes to ensure profits of corruption cannot flow to Russia.
She said: “The UK will do what is necessary to protect ourselves, and work with our allies to do likewise.”
Stressing the need to improve relations the PM said the UK and Russia should not be "in a state of perpetual confrontation", and announced that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will visit Moscow in the coming months for talks.
