Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, accused the UK on Friday of pushing its allies to confront Moscow after the EU decided to withdraw its ambassador to Russia over the attempted assassination of a Russian double agent in the UK.

Russian former spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33, were poisoned earlier in March with a nerve agent called Novichok, which the UK government says was developed by Russia. The man and his daughter are still critically ill.

Since then, a diplomatic crisis between the two counties has ensued after the UK blamed Moscow of being behind the assassination attempt, which was denied by Moscow.

"This happened in the UK, but it could have happened anywhere and we are taking a united stance against it,” British Prime Minister Theresa May said, in a press conference a day after the attack.