Five European countries are set to follow the UK's lead and attempt boot infamous Russian spy agency spooks after the PM called for joint European action against Vladimir Putin and the FSB
VLADIMIR Putin’s notorious European spy network faces collapse as it emerged that five more countries are drawing up plans for major diplomat expulsions.
France, Poland, and the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are all now expected to follow Theresa May’s lead last week with the dramatic action.
The development was a major breakthrough for the PM in her fight against the Russia boss to avenge the Salisbury nerve agent outrage.
Addressing all 27 other EU chiefs at a summit in Brussels, Mrs May appealed to them to face him down together.
Mrs May gave France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Angela Merkel a top secret briefing intelligence briefing in the margins last night to share MI5 and MI6’s latest assessment about the attack.
And senior British intelligence officials have been working behind the scenes to help other states draw up their own list of Kremlin spies, after the UK booted out 23 on Tuesday.
Thanking all the other leaders for their “solidarity and support”, Mrs May told them: “It’s clear the Russian threat does not respect borders.
“The incident in Salisbury was part of a pattern of Russian aggression against Europe and its near neighbours, from the Western Balkans to the Middle East.”
But even as the EU’s chiefs descended on the Belgian capital yesterday, the Kremlin continued its dirty tricks campaign.
A North-South EU split opened up as other more nervous countries – who rely on Russian gas and trade – held out from attributing direct blame for the assassination attempt on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia.
The Russian president bombarded more supportive EU leaders with tweets and phone calls yesterday, speaking to Greece’s Alexis Tsipras.
Giving a briefing to other diplomats, Britain’s ambassador to Moscow Dr Laurie Bristow said: “We have, as of yesterday, counted over 30 lines of disinformation which go back to the Russian state – which include the possibility that the United Kingdom did it, Ukraine was responsible, the materials were made in Sweden, or that it was Skripal’s mother-in-law who attempted to kill him”.
Britain wants all 28 EU members to condemn Russia outright for the attack.
But Greece, Italy, Romania and Hungary are blocking the move, and any EU declaration must be unanimous.
Bulgaria’s strongman leader Boyko Borisov last night became the latest EU leader to undermine Mrs May.
Asked about Russia’s culpability, he replied: “I’m a suspicious man. At this time, who could say this is a certainty?”
The karate blackbelt PM, who is a former police officer and bodyguard, insisted: “It’s never what it looks at first sight”.
And Greek PM Alexis Tsipras called for further evidence of Moscow’s involvement.
Shortly after speaking on the phone with the Russian president, Mr Tsipras said: “I think we will have to express our solidarity to the UK, the British people, but at the same time we need to investigate.
After Mrs May’s briefing with Macron and Merkel, No10 said last night: “The UK, Germany and France reaffirmed that there is no plausible explanation other than that the Russian state was responsible.
“The leaders agreed on the importance of sending a strong European message in response to Russia's actions and agreed to remain in close contact in coming days.”
