UK's May to seek united stand against Russia at EU summit

May is seeking a strong statement against President Vladimir Putin after the poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter in England.

Britain blames Moscow for the nerve-agent attack, while Russia insists it's not responsible.

In the wake of the attack Britain has called Russia a growing threat to Western democracies. EU foreign ministers expressed "unqualified solidarity" with Britain on Monday, but May is hoping for a more strongly worded statement that explicitly condemns Russia.

EU Council President Donald Tusk is seen by the UK as supportive, and said on Wednesday that Europe must "reinforce our preparedness for future attacks." But British officials are irked that another EU chief, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, congratulated Putin on his victory in Sunday's presidential election in Russia.

The attack on the Skripals has sent tensions between London and Moscow worsen to Cold War levels. The two countries have expelled 23 of each other's diplomats and engaged in an acidic war of words. On Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it was "emetic" vomit-inducing that Putin is rejoicing over hosting the soccer World Cup. Russia retorted that Johnson was "poisoned with venom of malice and hate." Brexit is also on the agenda at the two-day summit that starts on Thursday. Britain hopes the EU will sign off on the terms of the UK's departure next year and green-light talks on future relations.

A senior Whitehall official said that Russia "has shown itself to be a strategic enemy, not a strategic partner", pointing to a pattern of behaviour including cyber-attacks on countries including Germany, the US and Denmark and aggression in Syria and Ukraine. However, emphasis is being placed by the official on curbing the Kremlin's capacity to do harm, rather than escalating conflict. "It's not that we are looking for some big confrontation with Russia, or that this is about ultimately regime change," the official said.

In her remarks to EU leaders, May will stress the reckless nature of the attack in Salisbury against Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, who remain seriously ill in hospital, and that the use of the Novichok nerve agent was a clear breach of the chemical weapons convention.

British officials have briefed allies about the precise composition of the nerve agent from the Novichok group for their own experts to assess.

"Disrespect for international rules and norms clearly threatens the basis for our advanced democracy, open society and free economies," a senior No 10 official said. "The Russian threat does not respect borders and as such we are all at risk." Downing Street is not expecting a detailed list of actions member states will sign up to after the prime minister meets EU leaders. "This is a gradual process, it will take some time, it is a long-term challenge," the No 10 official said. "Tomorrow is part of the process." Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have begun working at the scene of the nerve agent attack on the Skripals, although they will be unlikely to report for at least a fortnight.

On Wednesday, the Foreign Office released a social media video attacking Russia's response to the chemical weapons attack, listing 17 separate explanations proposed by its state media or state spokespeople – including blaming the Skripals' condition on an attempted suicide or accidental overdoses and pointing the finger at five other countries, including Ukraine and Sweden.