US takes very seriously nerve agent attach by Russians: Trump

President Donald Trump today said it "certainly looks like" Russia was behind the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in the UK last week, underlining that the US takes the matter "very seriously".

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found collapsed after being poisoned last week. Both remain in a serious condition along with a police officer who came in contact with the same substance. Russia denies its involvement in the attempted murder.

Trump also said he was in "deep discussions" with British Prime Minister Theresa May over how to respond to the attack on Sergei Skripal, an ex-spy, and his daughter in Salisbury last week.

"It certainly looks like the Russians were behind it. Something that should never, ever happen. And we're taking it very seriously, as, I think, are many others," Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump said it looks like that the Russians were responsible for the nerve agent attack.

Later a senior administration official told reporters that Russia's behaviour on the world stage is continuing to trouble the US.

"We are continuing to press back in meaningful ways," the official said.

According to the FBI, DHS and intelligence community Russian government cyber actors are behind the targeting of the organizations in the energy sector. Cyberthreat actors have deliberately chosen the organizations, and they targeted him, rather than pursuing them as targets of opportunity, the official said.