Press release: PM call with Prime Minister Turnbull: 16 March 2018

The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, this morning about the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter and the reckless endangerment of the British public through the use of a military grade nerve agent developed by Russia.

Prime Minister Turnbull said he joined the Prime Minister in her condemnation of the appalling act and expressed his complete solidarity with the UK and its response to the attack.

The Prime Minister explained how she had visited the site at Salisbury yesterday and reiterated how the act represented an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the UK.

On the UK’s response, she explained how it will expel 23 Russian diplomats who have been identified as undeclared Russian intelligence officers, develop new legislative powers to harden our defences against such hostile activity and suspend all planned high-level contacts between the UK and the Russian Federation.

She thanked Prime Minister Turnbull for his strong support and they agreed on the importance of the international community coming together to take a stand against this despicable act.