US secretary of state Rex Tillerson has given the UK government strong backing over its claims that the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia was "highly likely" to have been carried out by the Russian state. In a statement issued overnight, Tillerson said the US had "full confidence in the UK's investigation and its assessment", adding "we are outraged that Russia appears to have again engaged in such behaviour". Tillerson said: "From Ukraine to Syria – and now the UK – Russia continues to be an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens." He said those responsible - not just those who carried out the attack using nerve agent Novichok, but also those who ordered it "must face appropriately serious consequences". "We stand in solidarity with our allies in the United Kingdom and will continue to coordinate closely our responses," he added. His comments come after the President’s press secretary, Sarah Sanders, refused repeatedly to assign blame to Russia. During a standard press briefing, Sanders said the US was "standing with our UK ally" but when pressed, insisted that "they’re still working through even some of the details". But yesterday there were calls for the UK government to call on its allies when considering its next steps. May told MPs there had been and would continue to be engagement with the UK's allies, although she gave no further details. Russia has until midnight tonight to offer a "credible" explanation for the attack. May said that if none were forthcoming she would announce measures against the state in the Commons tomorrow. "If there is no credible response from Russia, the government will conclude it amounts to unlawful use of force by Russian state against the UK," she said. |