I can't disagree more with the points Maurício raised.

Yes, the British security services failed to predict this unfortunate set of events. But I fail to see how that makes the act any less illegal. You seem to suggest that because the British failed to predict Litvinenko's murder, they have no right to seek extradition of the suspect.

I'm not even sure how you could have expected the British to predict such an extraordinarily cruel and cowardly murder. Even if they did suspect that Lugovoi had FSB links, I cannot see how they could have prevented this tragedy from occurring.

John Barker, London, UK

It just demonstrates our naivity in thinking Russia allies itself at all with current day western conceptions about fair play in a democratic world.However we shoud stop crying over spilt milk and make sure that we protect our interests subtly and more successfully than until now,Making this song and dance into a full blown spectacle serves no ones interest and Russia can much better stand the costs of such a palaver than we; who will simply lose what little influence we might have, a demonstration of which we have all witnessed this week. Be careful , because we call bears cute names does not make them any more predictable or safe!

Iain Provo, Amsterdam, netherlands

There are whispers (see Russiatoday.ru citing The Mail) that
Britain is going to expel 34 from Russian embassy in London.
Of course. after 2,3 days the Russians will expel the same number from British embassy in Moscow.
Likely, they have a longer list (Tony Brenton, in pole position)
but, you know, the Russians are poor student of democracy
and will not overcome your number, hoping not to receive a new lesson from Britain that anyway will deserve for free.
Ok, British council in Moscow, bye bye!

Go on......

mario meduri, milan,

Legislation has been put in place due to Russia’s concern relating to Scandinavian nations activities in Russia. The law requires the UK not to have such activities based in an embassy, like it is in Moscow. The new laws even affects my fiancé’s family, when I go on a private visit visa, as we now have to present much more paperwork and high financial penalties have also been imposed for not complying with the new law. The UK is not above the Law and it can simply be resolved by complying with new legislation rather then arguing against it. It certainly is not a campaign against the UK. A final point, the last paragraph is completely out of context of the general tread of the article.

Erik, London,

The Russians are more paranoid than the Yanks & they take some beating. lol

Methinks they should watch fewer Bond films & start figuring out how to feed the people.

K. Woodhouse, Lincoln, England

Besides being heads of an ex-military and economic powerful empire, what probably worries british (and specially english) politicians most is that spying should be a british specialty (consider 007 films). Reality is totally different, however: a Russian spy entered the country, killed another former ex-russian spy (who would deliver important information to british authorities), and came back to the great motherland unnoticed. Now, astonished by these events, british government asks the extradicition of Lugovoi to russian authority trying to present this as a fair demand of "west democracies" against dictatorial eastern regimes. In reality, the fact is: british home security and information services failed and british authorities should admit it. It is no use complaining to russian government. As President Putin said: "Russia was not an English Colony" (besides being a far bigger military power than UK). In fact, the real 007's are born far away from british borders.

Maurício Costa, Belém, Brasil