Hype Over Skripal is West's Hysterical Reaction to Putin's Win – Businessman

The UK-fanned scandal over the Skripal case is nothing less than the West's hysterical reaction to the Russian presidential election, says Zdenek Zbytek, chairman of the board of consortium "CZET — Czech Energy Conservation Technologies," which unites more than 30 major Czech companies.

"They wanted to somehow disrupt the election of [Vladimir] Putin, which, in my opinion, had the opposite effect," Zbytek told Sputnik Czech. "Even a person like me, who knows Russia very well and knows many Russians, did not expect that Putin would have such great support. I think that during this election, Putin unified Russia."

Earlier, the UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats groundlessly claiming that Moscow had had a hand in the poisoning of former MI6 asset Sergei Skripal, who was swapped in 2010 for Russian sleeper agents exposed in the US at the time and granted asylum in the UK. More than 20 states, including the Czech Republic, followed in the UK's footsteps and deported Russian envoys.

Zbytek underscored that before leaping to conclusions one should gather ample evidence. Still, the UK presented virtually nothing to back its allegations that Russia was responsible for the alleged gas attack against Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia.

"No one has provided any clear evidence to the media and the public so far," the Czech entrepreneur said. "It is nonsensical to blame Russia for the [supposed attack] on the premise that it would benefit Moscow."

The businessman believes that the truth will sooner or later find a way out. He emphasized the necessity to scrupulously examine the case and find out everything.

"Only the insane would have given the order to liquidate a former spy and traitor just before the presidential elections," Zbytek said, referring to the fact that Moscow had neither a motive nor necessity to attack the ex-spook.

Zbytek expressed incomprehension over the decision of European governments, Canada and the US to expel Russian diplomats. According to Sputnik's interlocutor, if it was done just on the basis of some suspicions and the words of the British foreign minister, "who does not even know history," this is a gross mistake.

The entrepreneur believes that the deterioration in political relations will negatively affect the economic ties between the Czech Republic and Russia.

"Over the 27 years that I have been doing business, I have witnessed ups and downs in bilateral Czech-Russian relations and I think that reasonable people will not take this [the Skripal scandal] seriously. This is not a game, this is the opinion of politicians at the helm," he stressed.

The businessman opined that while the investigators have not collected clear evidence on the Skripal case, politicians should remain silent and not make political conclusions that have "far-reaching consequences."

On March 4 naturalized British spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, fell victim to an alleged nerve gas attack with an A-234 substance. To date the two have remained critically ill, according to British authorities. The UK denied Russia's consular access to Yulia Skripal. Likewise, London refused to provide Moscow with the samples of the poisonous substance and documents on the matter.

Following the disruption of top-level ties with Russia and the expulsion of Russian envoys, UK Prime Minister Theresa May dropped a hint about further punitive measures against Moscow: "There is still more to be done as we work with international partners on a long-term response to the challenge posed by Russia," the PM's spokesperson told reporters on March 27.

The views and opinions expressed by Zdenek Zbytek are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.