Putin says 'not possible' Skripals were poisoned with military nerve agent

Vladimir Putin has said it's “not possible” that Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned in Salisbury by a military nerve agent and raised doubts about British allegations that Russia attacked them.  

“I'm not an expert in military grade toxic agents, but as far as I can picture, if a military grade toxic agent is used, then the victims of this attack die on the spot, almost immediately,” Mr Putin said, speaking with news editors at the St Petersburg economic forum. “This didn't happen, Skripal and his daughter are alive and have been released from the hospital. And his daughter looks well enough, everyone is alive and healthy.” 

“It's not possible to say this was a military grade nerve agent,” Mr Putin continued. “And if that's the case, then it casts into doubt everything that was said by the British side from the start.”

The international chemical weapons watchdog said Novichok, a sophisticated nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union, was used to poison the Skripals. The UK government has said it's "highly likely" the Kremlin was behind the attack, despite Russian denials. 

On Wednesday, Yulia Skripal said she and her father had undergone a “slow and extremely painful” recovery after they were found slumped on a Salisbury park bench. She again declined the services of the Russian embassy in London, which has repeatedly attempted to see her. 

The United States, UK and other allies expelled some 150 Russian diplomats over the poisoning, and Russia in turn expelled British diplomats and closed the St Petersburg consulate and the British Councils cultural group. 

Mr Putin argued that the topic should be closed unless Russia is allowed into the UK investigation.

"Either we need to conduct a joint objective and comprehensive investigation or we need to just stop talking about this topic, because it doesn't lead to anything other than the worsening of relations,” he said.

Mr Putin also said at the forum that he would leave office after the end of this, his second term in a row, ending speculation that he would change the constitution to abolish term limits. 

He could however take another role in the government and remain in charge, as he did in 2008-12.

Speaking with French president Emmanuel Macron on Thursday night, Mr Putin also called into doubt the conclusion of the international investigation that the Russian military had deployed the missile that downed Malaysia Airlines flight 17, killing 298 people.

He argued that Russia should be let into this investigation as well.

Australia and the Netherlands will seek to hold Russia legally accountable for the tragedy.