The US has thrown its diplomatic weight behind the UK as Britain braces itself for Russian retaliation after Theresa May hit back at Moscow over the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

As the Kremlin made it clear it is readying its response to the biggest expulsion of its embassy staff since the Cold War, the White House came down firmly on Britain’s side.

In a significant intervention following some concern over the stance of US president Donald Trump, the White House stated: “The United States stands in solidarity with its closest ally, the United Kingdom.

“The United States shares the United Kingdom’s assessment that Russia is responsible for the reckless nerve agent attack on a British citizen and his daughter, and we support the United Kingdom’s decision to expel Russian diplomats as a just response.

“This latest action by Russia fits into a pattern of behaviour in which Russia disregards the international rules-based order, undermines the sovereignty and security of countries worldwide, and attempts to subvert and discredit Western democratic institutions and processes.”

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Boris Johnson has called for Britain’s allies to support its stand against Russia as the UK braced for retaliation for expelling Kremlin diplomats en masse.

The Foreign Secretary said “all responsible nations” shared an obligation to take on Russian aggression that “threatens the very architecture of global security”.

Writing in the Washington Post, Mr Johnson also said the poison used in the Salisbury spy attack was specifically chosen to send a message to political dissenters challenging Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“All responsible nations share an obligation to take a principled stance against this behaviour,” he said.

“The countermeasures announced by the Prime Minister are not solely about the attack in Salisbury.

“Britain is striving to uphold the rules on which the safety of every country depends. I hope and believe that our friends will stand alongside us.”

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