Russia–United Kingdom relations

(Reuters) - Iceland's leaders will not attend the soccer World Cup in Russia this year as part of an international response to punish the Kremlin for a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in England that the British government has blamed on Moscow.

Vecernje Novosti writes that the UK wants Serbia to "unequivocally condemn the poisoning of Sergei Skripal."

Russian embassies in Croatia, Romania and Macedonia have strongly criticised the three countries' decision to expel diplomats to show solidarity with Britain in the wake of the poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia.

Albania, Croatia, Macedonia and Romania joined other EU countries in expelling some Russian diplomats on Monday.

More than 130 Russian diplomats have been ordered to leave capital cities across the globe, as the West unites behind Britain over the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

Some 60 Russians are to be expelled from the US, while suspected intelligence officers in Canada, Ukraine, Australia, Albania, Macedonia and a number of EU states will also be ejected.

Romania's decision to expel a Russian diplomat in Bucharest - taken in the context of the chemical attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the UK - is probably "the manifestation of collective political madness," according to a message released by the Russian Embassy in Bucharest on Monday.

Albania expelled two Russian diplomats on Monday, as the EU aspirant country joined the UK, the EU, the US and Canada in a coordinated response to the nerve agent poisoning of  Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence official, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury England.

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) has notified the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bucharest that one of the embassy's diplomats will be declared persona non-grata and will be expelled from the country, according to a MAE press statement released on Monday.

There are four more that are "not confirmed" to have joined the move: Spain. Romania, Hungary, and Croatia.

The US will expel 60 Russian diplomats, it has been announced, and all this comes in the wake of the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the UK.

In addition, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she will talk to France about anti-Russian measures, before she launches any action.

She added that the evidence that Russia had a role in poisoning Sergei Skripal was "on firm bases."

European Union leaders united behind British Prime Minister Theresa May on March 22 in blaming Russia for a nerve agent attack in England, and agreed to recall their ambassador to Moscow for consultations.