MOSCOW. March 15 (Interfax) - The allegations of Russia's involvement in the poisoning of former Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) colonel Sergei Skripal are based on a sick and twisted logic, as Russia has absolutely no reason to do that, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Vietnamese and Japanese media in an interview.
"In fact, Russia would not do that under any circumstances. Even if we hypothetically take this sick and twisted logic of Western colleagues, who in one's right mind could imagine Russia creating any problems shortly before the presidential election and the FIFA World Cup?" Lavrov said.
Russia "has no such motivation," he said.
"However, there is a motive behind the actions of those who keep pressuring us and looking for new reasons [in addition to doping and other things] to complicate the hosting of the FIFA World Cup," Lavrov said. The interview was published on the Foreign Ministry's website on Thursday.