President Putin called Skripal a 'traitor and scum"

Why did it take so long for Putin to share his real motives for sending in the GRU agents agents to kill Skripal?
Not sure he understands that the myth of the sage on top of the hill is dissipating.
After the laughing stock with the Simonyan's RT interview, it seems he has finally grasped - the story is beyond his control
Time to play the Russian pride tune - we kill traitors.