Russia–United Kingdom relations

''Bulgaria, which has a strong pro-Russian lobby in government, needs more time to decide whether to follow NATO and EU allies in expelling Russian diplomats over a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy'', its deputy prime minister said on Thursday, Reuters reported.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed in a phone call on Wednesday to work together to counter Russia, the British minister's office said.

"The Chancellor and Prime Minister both agreed on the need to continue to work together to counter increased Russian aggression," the press release read.

American diplomats declared personae non gratae have to leave Russia by April 5, according to a step Moscow made in response to the greatest ever expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US over Skripal's poisoning, groundlessly blamed on Russia.

Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve toxin that had been left on the front door of their home in England, British counter-terrorism police said.

Austria is ready to become a mediator to settle disagreements between the UK and Russia over the Sergei Skripal case. This was announced by Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, quoted by TASS.

"We are open to everyone, and if we are to ask for mediation efforts (between Russia and the UK), we are happy and ready for that," said Kneissl, in front of the Austrian TV channel OER Ef 2.

Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu stated on Wednesday that Romania, as part of the European Union, showed a sign of solidarity with the UK and expelled a Russian diplomat in the context of the scandal related to the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and doesn't exclude the possibility that, in reply, the Russian Federation apply the same measure based on "the reciprocity pr

Britain shared "unprecedented levels" of intelligence about a spy poisoning it blamed on Moscow, which has led at least 25 countries to expel Russian diplomats, a senior U.K. government official said March 27.

This is a coordinated response to the attack on the spy Sergei Skripal.

The EU was joined by the US, Canada. Australia, but also some other, non-EU European states such as Macedonia and Moldova.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov told media on Tuesday that the unnamed Russian diplomat was expelled in solidarity with Britain over the Sergei Skripal poisoning, but also for domestic security reasons.

Dimitrov said the decision "was made after careful deliberation and analysis" and was "based on two elements".

"This decision represents the price and the consequences of Russia's behavior," Stoltenberg said.

Before NATO, a total of 24 countries decided to expel Russian diplomats in solidarity with Britain, following the poisoning of a former Russian spy in that country.