Editorial Roundup

Britain expelling diplomats:

COPENHAGEN — Russia replied yesterday in a surprisingly moderate way to Britain’s expulsion of four diplomats as a reaction to Moscow’s refusal to hand out Andrei Lugovoi, who is suspected in the radioactive murder of Alexander Litvinenko.

Russia will “very soon inform Britain” about the Russian countermeasures, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Moscow.

The unusual moderate official tone indicates that the Kremlin needs a thinking break while media faithful to the Kremlin direct violent attacks at Britain.

… Was the expulsion of the diplomats the correct British reaction?

Yes, if we’re talking about people who worked for the Russian intelligence service FSB which monitors Russian critics in Britain.

And London had to react following the arrogance that Moscow has shown in a murder case where all the leads go back to Russia.

The big problem, not only for Britain in this case but for everyone with relations to Russia, is the country’s president who cannot grasp why the rest of the world is concerned about his critics being murdered.