(CNN) UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a frosty meeting in Japan on Friday, when May asked for the Russian men that Britain blames for a high-profile poisoning to be brought to justice.

The leaders' strained relationship appeared to be on display in photographs of their handshake at the start of the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the annual two-day G20 summit in Osaka.

It is the first time both May and Putin have met since the poisoning incident in March 2018, when former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found slumped on a bench in the English city of Salisbury after being exposed to Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent.

Months later, British citizen Dawn Sturgess died after accidentally being exposed to the same substance. The UK government blamed the poisonings on Russian intelligence officers, which Moscow has denied.

Relations between the nations have been strained since and Friday's meeting showed little sign of an upcoming thaw.

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