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Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has said that Moscow will soon expel British diplomats as retaliation for the UK's expulsion of 23 of its own diplomats in the country over a nerve gas attack on a former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal, who remain critically ill.

Lavrov told Russian media IRA, "Absolutely. Soon. I promise you that" responding to a question on when the expulsions would happen. 

Britain accuses Russia of using the Soviet-era ‘Novichok' nerve agent on Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33 in the city of Salisbury in southern England. 

Russia denies any involvement and referred to the allegations as "absolutely boorish", suggesting that Britain's approach might partly be due to the government's problems over Brexit.

On Wednesday, a White House statement said it "stands in solidarity" with the UK and supported its decision to expel the Russian diplomats, also accusing Russia of undermining the security of countries worldwide.