AMN

Moscow has accused Washington of pressuring nations to carry out a mass expulsion of its diplomats in response to a nerve agent attack in the UK.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the United States of colossal blackmail and said, there were few independent countries left in modern Europe.

The expulsion of about 100 Russians by more than 20 nations is thought to be the largest in history.

Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned on 4 March. Investigators believe a military-grade nerve agent was used.