East vs West - High stakes

The current spat between the UK and Russia is like a game of poker. At first sight, Britain appears to be playing a strong hand, convincing its allies — Ireland included — that the Russian government is behind the attempted assassination of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

But Russia has raised the stakes by inviting the UK to join them in a joint investigation into the Salisbury incident. It did so at a meeting it summoned of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague. That was a strong and clever move — if this was a game of Texas Holdem.

Britain’s response that Russia was being “perverse” is somewhat less so, considering that many neutral observers may feel the original allegation resembles the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction rhetoric.

The UK’s hand has been further weakened by the acknowledgement yesterday by British scientists that they are unable to prove the source of the nerve agent used in the attack.

A common problem experienced by many poker players is playing with ego. Both sides need to keep that in mind.