Boris Johnson says Russian diplomats expulsion across Europe ' good omen' for post-Brexit relationships

Boris Johnson has hailed the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats across Europe and the United States as a “very good omen” for Britain’s relationship with allies after Brexit.

The United States and 22 other countries have expelled 100 Kremlin officials in response to the the poisoning of a  former Russian spy in Salisbury with a Russian-made nerve agent.

The Foreign Secretary rejected concerns that leaving the EU would damage Britain’s influence over allies, saying: "The UK may be leaving the EU but we're not leaving Europe and we remain committed unconditionally to the security of our friends and partners.

"We secured very strong support from the EU institutions but also bilaterally. It is also worth observing that not every EU member chose to expel diplomats - many of them did, and that is a very good omen for the future."

Addressing the House of Commons on Tuesday, the Foreign Secretary praised the international response to the spy poisoning as “unprecedented and robust”.

It came after Mrs May struck a defiant tone last night, telling Mr Putin that his gambit had “spectacularly backfired” and resulted in the largest dismantling of a Kremlin spy network in history.

With as many as 25 countries now expected to expel officials from their Russian embassies, the Prime Minister vowed last night never to allow the Kremlin to rebuild its espionage machine.

Mapped: Russian diplomats expelled from West

In an earlier article for The Times, Mr Johnson said that he was “deeply grateful” to those who had expressed solidarity with the UK, admitting that their actions “may well carry a price”.

While Russia’s obfuscation had helped it swerve retaliatory action in the past, he welcomed the fact that its “deluge of lies” had failed to have the desired effect this time round.

He added that Mr Putin’s disinformation campaign has now been “exposed for all to see”, with the Foreign Office identifying 21 conspiracy theories spread by the Kremlin-funded media since the poisoning.

Russian spy poisoning | Read more

“Do not underestimate the effect of these measures on Russia’s networks of espionage,” he continued. “I believe that yesterday’s events could become a turning point.”

“Our allies have not been deterred by Russia’s usual tactics for avoiding pressure.

“Sure enough, the Kremlin began pumping out a deluge of lies almost as soon as Sergei and Yulia Skripal had entered intensive care.

“There was a time when this tactic of sowing doubt might have been effective, but no one is fooled any more.”

In Full | Joint statement from leaders of France, Germany, US and UK on Salisbury spy attack

It follows the decision by President Trump to order that 60 suspected Russian spies leave the US within seven days, a move that surpassed even Downing Street’s expectations.

With as many as six countries expected to follow Britain in ordering a diplomatic boycott of this summer’s Fifa World Cup, Mrs May warned Russia that it “cannot continue to flout international law and threaten our security.”