THE unified response to Russia’s latest outrage is heart-warming.
While Sergei Skripal and his daughter remain critically ill in hospital, our allies and friends have reacted in a way unprecedented since the Cold War.
At the time of writing, 27 countries, including Australia, Canada and the US, have expelled over 140 Russian so-called ‘diplomats’.
NATO has also sent seven home and reduced the size of the Russian mission.
Mr Trump congratulated Mr Putin on his recent election win, yet expelled 60 embassy workers on Monday.
Germany, Italy and others will shortly be heavily reliant on Russian gas, yet they still backed Mrs May’s call for action.
Observers predict that Russian intelligence gathering will be severely hampered in the foreseeable future.
Clearly, the West has had enough, and I suspect that even Mr Putin is taken aback by this united front.
A line had to be drawn somewhere, with Russia linked in one way or another to other acts of infamy, including the downing of Malaysian Airlines MH317, the annexation of Crimea, the invasion of Ukraine, support for Assad’s genocide in Syria, incursions into NATO airspace, cyber-attacks, election tampering and numerous assassinations across Europe.
The UK’s firm stance comes at a time that a few still believe we cannot go it alone.
I believe this shows not only that we can, but that we can lead where others will follow.
We do not need to be in a United States of Europe to work with our allies and friends in Europe.
This reaction to Russian aggression is a triumph for those of us who believe that, as sovereign states, we are all capable of acting for the greater good.
Together we stand, but as independent nations, each responsible for our laws, borders and economies.