Lugovoi tug-of-war

The UK's Foreign Office presents a report to parliament this week on London's diplomatic options following Russia's refusal to extradite Andrei Lugovoi for the murder of Aleksandr Litvinenko.  Last November, the former Russian agent died a lingering, agonising death from swallowing radioactive polonium-210.  Now, in the first foreign policy conundrum for the new prime minister, Gordon Brown, and his foreign secretary, David Miliband, cooperation could be cut with the Russians in education, trade or counter-terrorism.  There could even be Cold War-style expulsions of diplomats. 

Russia says its constitution forbids extradition.  It says it will try Lugovoi in Moscow, but London will not accept this.  Litvinenko was a UK citizen, the crime took place in London and the method used could have poisoned other Londoners.  London thinks a Moscow trial would not be impartial or fair. It would be the Russian state putting itself on trial.  The best guess is that Litvinenko's murder was carried out by former security agents, perhaps to please President Vladimir Putin, for polonium is almost impossible to obtain unofficially. Russian intelligence is now busily laying down a smokescreen, accusing UK intelligence of running a spy ring from among Litvinenko's circle.  And yet, a serious rupture is unlikely -- both sides have too much to lose, and cooperation will  continue behind the scenes where it matters.