Cameron: 'We have to go on having some sort of relationship with Russia'

David Cameron has accused Russia of carrying out a “state-sponsored” murder of Alexander Litvinenko, writes Tom Whitehead. In response to the public inquiry’s conclusion that President Vladimir Putin and the FSB “probably” sanctioned the assassination, Mr Cameron said: “What happened was absolutely appalling and this report confirms what we've always believed, and what the last Labour government believed at the time of this dreadful murder, which is it was state sponsored action." But he was forced to defend his Government’s response to the report, which has been criticised as too weak. “What we’ve added today, rightly, is further asset freezes, writing again to the prosecuting authorities to see what more can be done. “We must now read the report in its entirety and take everything into account but be in no doubt, this shocking event was reacted to years ago when it happened, and we’re toughening our action again today.” The Prime Minister said the UK had a “pretty difficult relationship with the Russians” but that it still needed to work with it in other matters but with “clear eyes and a very cold heart”. “We totally disapprove with what they are doing in Syria in terms of bombing the moderate opposition – that is making the situation worse not better,” he said. “We have put sanctions in place, led the arguments in Europe for sanctions against Russia because of their illegal action in the Ukraine. “But do we at some level have to go on having some sort of relationship with them because we need a solution to the Syria crisis – yes we do but we do it with clear eyes and a very cold heart.” Asked if further sanctions could be taken, he said: “We will look very carefully at the report and all the detail. “But as I say. It confirms what we always believed to be the case, and it confirms that the action we took then and the last Labour government took then, was indeed the right action.”