FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

---

Imperial Fears Rampant That European ‘Alliance’ against Russia May Be Crumbling

April 4, 2018 (EIRNS)—Revealing London’s desperation over the crumbling of its “the Russians did it” offensive, The Times of London today remarked that yesterday’s admission by Porton Down chief executive Gary Aitkenhead that it isn’t possible to determine the origin of the Novichok used to poison Sergei and Yulia Skripal, “risks undermining the international coalition against Moscow.” An unnamed “senior minister” is quoted complaining about Aitkenhead’s statements: “I’d give them [Porton Down] full marks for their scientific work, but low marks for today’s presentation. This clearly isn’t helpful.”

Indeed. As Sputnik reports today, fears abound that the so-called “unified” European alliance against Russia is in fact falling apart. In addition to remarks made by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) to the effect that Germany wants to maintain a dialogue with Russia, now a CDU leader Armin Laschet, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia—Germany’s most populous state—chastised London for demanding the expulsion of Russian diplomats without solid evidence.

In a tweet, Laschet asked,

“If you force almost all NATO countries to demonstrate solidarity, shouldn’t you have sound evidence? Regardless of what one thinks about Russia, my study of international law taught me a different way to deal with other states.”

According to The Times, Laschet, who is one of five deputy chairmen of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, has previously criticized Russia-bashing and has welcomed Russia’s role in Syria and its unification with Crimea.