LONDON – The United States and its European allies are expelling dozens ofRussian diplomats in a co-ordinated response to the poisoning of a formerRussian spy in the UK.

US President Donald Trump has ordered 60 Russian diplomats to leave thecountry.

Germany, France, Ukraine and various other EU countries have made the samemove.

Russia has indicated it will respond “proportionately”.

Russia denies any role in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter inSalisbury, southern England. The pair remain in a critical but stablecondition in hospital.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the EU forits “perverted interpretation of solidarity” with the UK.

EU leaders agreed last week it was highly likely Russia was behind thenerve-agent poisoning.

In the US, 48 of the envoys to be expelled are said to be based at theRussian embassy in Washington and the others are at the UN in New York.

It will also order the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said his decision to expel 13diplomats was taken “in the spirit of solidarity with our British partnersand transatlantic allies and in co-ordination with EU countries”.

Earlier on Monday, various European countries – including Latvia,Lithuania, Estonia and Poland – had summoned Russian ambassadors to theirforeign ministries. – Agencies