With key conditions and precautions, the British government should accept Russian demands for consular access to Yulia Skripal.
Don’t misunderstand me, I recognize why the U.K. has been reluctant to provide this access. After all, Yulia was nearly killed along with her father following an assassination attempt conducted under Russian President Vladimir Putin’s orders.
And by asking for consular access, Putin is playing a half-joke, half-propaganda effort against the British.
At the first level, the Kremlin knows the U.K. government takes its international obligations under the Vienna and Geneva conventions very seriously. But Putin also knows that the British know the Russians regard British deference to international law as a weakness. Thus, by requesting access to Skripal, the Russians are teasing the British.
But there’s also a public relations-propaganda effort motivating Putin here.
In the context of the upcoming soccer World Cup, Putin wants to distract from successful British efforts to persuade nations to expel Russian diplomats in response to the Skripal attack. Russian propaganda efforts designed to present a face of sincere concern for the Skripals achieves that end.
After all, the Russians know that a range of morons across the western world; including in Britain, will lap it up.
Yet Britain cannot play to its anger over the visible Russian antics here. Instead, it must respond in recognition of the game Russia is playing and in a way that defeats Russian objectives.
To do so, Theresa May should authorize a limited — one or two person — Russian consular team to visit Yulia. Yet before it begins, the Russians must be made aware that the duration of their visit will be limited and that they will be required to leave if Yulia becomes distressed or if their questions become inappropriate.
Next, the U.K. should take operational security steps to ensure the Russians can’t glean intelligence with which to conduct another attack against the Skripals. While this is a remote possibility, it cannot be ruled out entirely since Putin hates losing the strategic initiative as he has here. Alongside other actions, such precautions might include a cordon around the hospital to prevent external intelligence monitoring of the meeting.
But to protect the Skripals, Yulia should be moved to a different room on a different floor from where she is normally treated. The U.K. should also station a few SAS or SBS military special forces operators in “black kit” inside and outside of Yulia’s room. That will send a clear message to the attending Russian diplomats — who will either be intelligence officers or working at the behest of Russian intelligence in London — that the U.K. can speak their language.
During the interview, Britain should and will likely station a Security Service (MI5 – domestic CIA equivalent) or SIS (MI6 – CIA equivalent) officer to monitor proceedings. The officer should be a high-level Russian linguist so that he or she can pick up on any hidden threats, messages, or questions the Russian officials put to Skripal.
Finally, the British should record the proceedings so that they can illuminate any future Russian lies as to what occurred.
Doing all this will play the Russians at their own game while denying them the opportunity to complain about access to the Skripals. In short, it will allow Britain and the west to retain the initiative.
