New US anti-Russian sanctions prove Skripal case trumped-up

A second round of US sanctions imposed on Russia over the Skripal case shows the trumped-up nature of the investigation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday in a televised interview on Rossiya’1 channel.

“That is another huge and the strongest proof that the story about Skripals was invented, that it is a provocation,” she said. “At least, that part is trumped-up which was presented by the UK, by London, by the Theresa May government as an official version. That is a story that has totally discredited itself,” Zakharova said commenting on the new, second round of US sanctions slapped on Moscow over the Skripal case.

Earlier, the high-ranking diplomat said that the second round of US sanctions against Moscow was an open provocation aimed at a propagandistic effect. She pointed out that Russia would continue its sustainable development, would boost the economy and bolster defense capabilities, and would step up its influence on the global arena.