The Foreign Secretary said the attempted murder of Mr Skripal in Salisbury earlier this month was the Kremlin’s way of warning defectors and dissidents “look at what happens to people who stand up to the regime”.
Mr Johnson said the evidence is “overwhelming” that Russia was behind the attack, which the Government said was perpetrated using a horrific Soviet-era nerve agent known as Novichok.
He told the Today programme it was obvious that Russia has retained illegal stockpiles of chemical weapons.
Following on from Theresa May’s announcement yesterday that 23 high-level Russian diplomats would be expelled from the UK in the wake of the attack, Mr Johnson hinted at possible economic sanctions by saying Britain would “go after the Russian money”.
He also revealed the Prime Minister is due to speak with French President Emmanuel Macron again today.
Russia has continually denied any involvement in the attack on March 4.
More to follow…