The Latest: Russian officials know of no new expulsion plans

Posted: Friday, March 23, 2018 6:05 am | Updated: 6:32 am, Fri Mar 23, 2018.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on international reaction to the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter in Britain (all times local):

12 p.m.

Russia's Foreign Ministry says Moscow is not aware of immediate plans by any European countries other than Britain to expel Russian diplomats.

Several European Union countries say they plan to take measures against Russia over the poisoning of a former spy in the English city of Salisbury, and some may follow the U.K.'s lead in expelling Moscow diplomats.

The EU announced on Thursday that it would recall its ambassador from Moscow for consultations over the incident.

Artyom Kozhin, a spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, told a televised briefing Friday afternoon that officials there have not been approached by other countries about potential expulsions.

The UK has already expelled 23 Russian diplomats and their families, and Moscow responded by expelling 23 British diplomats, who are expected to return to the UK on Friday.

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9:30 a.m.

The president of Lithuania says EU countries plan to ramp up their actions against Russia within days over the poisoning of a former spy.

Speaking hours after the European Union said it agreed with Britain that Russia was "highly likely" to be responsible, Dalia Grybauskaite said that "from the beginning of next week, a lot of countries, we will go for our national measures."

Grybauskaite has said Lithuania may expel Russian diplomats over the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury earlier this month.

At a Brussels summit, May shared information about why Britain is convinced Moscow was behind the nerve-agent attack.

Grybauskaite said Friday that "we got more detailed information from the prime minister May and it was very good information."

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