US Profits From Divided Eurasia and Doesn't Want Good EU-Russia Ties – Ex-MEP

21 countries have expelled Russian diplomats over the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in the UK. However, 11 EU member states have refrained from expelling any Russian diplomats. Sputnik discussed the unprecedented expulsion of Russian diplomats with Fabrizio Bertot, former member of the European Parliament from the Forza Italia party.

Sputnik: What can you say about this unprecedented response by so many countries?

Fabrizio Bertot: The problem is that there is no proof of what happened in Great Britain, and I think that this kind of accusation is just a big excuse to create a sort of conflict between the members of the European Union and Russian Federation. In fact, the investigation is ongoing, so there is no result, there is no proof, and sincerely why would the Russian Federation try to kill an old spy that is more than 10 years not working, and especially why would they have to use nerve gas that is sort of an imprinting Russian origin for the attack, if they really wanted to kill him I think there are other ways; so it means that there is no justification from the Russian Federation. I think that it's a strange fact that this happened to weeks before the Russian presidential election, so I don’t think that everything is very clear. Everywhere where there are spies involved in a story, there’s always something obscure that is better to investigate and maybe it is better not to extract conclusions before the end of the investigation.

READ MORE: From the US to Luxembourg: Who Declared Russian Diplomats Personae Non Gratae

Sputnik: Italy is on this list right now of countries that have taken measures against Russia, although, it was previously neutral why do you think Italy has changed its position over the issue?

Fabrizio Bertot: Well the position of Italy at the moment is not very clear and I sincerely don’t understand it because at the moment we a government, that is a missionary government, and this government can only do ordinary things, expel Russian diplomats from Italy, I don’t know if it can be considered only an ordinary fact. I think that in Italy, we have to investigate if it’s correct what they’re doing in our system. Anyway I know that there is a deliberation of the European Council and maybe what is approved by the European Council maybe can be considered ordinary for the single state members. I don’t agree with the decision especially because Italy is the country that needs to have good relations with Russia, because this kind of war with sanctions can only damage to Italy.

Sputnik: How soon do you think we'll see some kind of result concerning the investigation and do you think Russia will be given at any point an opportunity to get involved in the investigation or to even have a trial, where they’re able to prove their innocence?

Fabrizio Bertot: I think that Russian authorities have to be included in the investigation and I think it would be correct in order also to prove that there are no reasons for bad relations between the Russian Federation and the European Union; because if the British investigators, the European investigators  accept to collaborate with Russian investigators it means that there is no prejudice, that would prove that it’s OK, there is a problem and we want to solve it together. If Russian investigators are not included in the investigation, it means that probably something is not clear, it proves that probably the investigation is oriented only to cause bad relations between the Russian Federation and the European Union; so I think the inclusion of investigators from Russia can be the proof of the sincerity of the European Union, if they don’t accept, it means that they’re not sincere.

READ MORE: Moscow: Analysis of Skripal Case Suggests UK Intel Services Involved in Incident

Sputnik: Who, in fact, could benefit though from worsened relations between EU countries and countries of the world, and Russia?

Fabrizio Bertot: I think first of all for the USA, because we know that good relations between European Union and the Russian Federation can create a big development of our economy, a big development of our power in politics, especially in politics and economy; so I think that to have a divided Eurasia is better for the influence that the US has on Western Europe.

The views and opinions expressed by Fabrizio Bertot are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect Sputnik's position.