5 quotes pointing to the biggest political conflict looming since the Cold War

A major diplomatic row between Moscow and London over the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter seems to be spiraling into something much bigger than just a spat between two countries.

The UK government instantly blamed Moscow for the attack, claiming that the military-grade nerve agent ‘Novichok’ was used directly by Russia to poison the victims.

In response, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced a new set of sanctions against Moscow, which include freezing Russian state assets and expelling 23 Russian diplomats. The Kremlin has promised a swift response.

The Cold War-style attack on Skripal and his daughter sounds like something that came straight from the pages of a John le Carre novel or a James Bond movie script — but while the UK and its allies immediately pinned the blame on Moscow, some experts have cautioned that there is not enough evidence to support that accusation.

READ MORE: Novichok – toxic questions about chemical at center of Skripal saga