Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin is dismissing British accusations of Russia’s involvement in an ex-spy’s poisoning as “nonsense,” adding that Moscow is ready to cooperate with London in the probe.

Putin on Sunday referred to the attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter as a “tragedy,” but added that if the British claim that they were poisoned by the Soviet-designed nerve agent were true, the victims would have died instantly.

He said that it’s “nonsense” to think that anyone in Russia could have staged such an attack shortly before Sunday’s presidential vote and before the World Cup that Russia is set to host this summer.

In his first comments about the poisoning, the Russian leader said that Moscow was ready to cooperate with Britain in the investigation.