March 28, 2018
The U.S. Embassy in Moldova commends the Government of the Republic of Moldova for acting in solidarity with the United Kingdom and its allies and neighbors in holding Russia accountable for its actions violating international law and threatening European security. Standing with its European and international partners, the Republic of Moldova showed how seriously the world takes Russia’s ongoing global campaign to undermine international peace and stability, to threaten the sovereignty and security of countries worldwide, and to subvert and discredit Western institutions.
The United States is committed to holding Russia accountable for its March 4 attempt to murder a British citizen and his daughter using a military-grade nerve agent in Salisbury, United Kingdom. This is the latest in Russia’s ongoing pattern of destabilizing activities around the world. This attack on the United Kingdom put countless innocent lives at risk and resulted in serious injury to three people, including a police officer. Russia’s action represents an outrageous violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and breach of international law. The White House announced earlier this week the expulsion of dozens of Russian intelligence officers who were operating under diplomatic cover in the United States and also the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, Washington. According to the White House: “With these steps, the United States and our allies and partners make clear to Russia that its actions have consequences. The United States stands ready to cooperate to build a better relationship with Russia, but this can only happen with a change in the Russian government’s behavior.”
The United States calls on Russia to accept responsibility for its continued violations of international norms and to demonstrate to the world that it is capable of living up to its international commitments and responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council to uphold international peace and security.