Envoys at Navalny funeral meddling — Russia

Russia yesterday accused Western ambassadors in Moscow of meddling in Russia’s internal affairs by attending the funeral of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The Ukraine war has triggered the deepest crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and President Vladimir Putin has warned that the West risks provoking a nuclear war if it sends troops to fight in Ukraine.

Russia was dismayed by what foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on March 4 was a refusal by EU ambassadors to meet him for talks ahead of Russia’s March 1517 presidential election.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, remarking on the envoys’ refusal, told Russian state television anchor Vladimir Solovyov: “The question indeed arises among everyone: what are they doing and why, how do they interpret their conduct on the territory of our country if they do not perform their most important function?”

Solovyov noted that EU ambassadors attended the March 1 funeral of Navalny, whom he cast as their agent.

Navalny, whose death at an Arctic prison colony was announced on February 16, had always denied being a Western agent.

The West says Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death.

Zakharova said the envoys’ refusal to talk with Lavarov showed they were meddling in Moscow’s affairs and putting on “performances” rather than doing diplomatic work.

Reuters photos showed that the Western envoys who attended the funeral service included French ambassador Pierre Levy, German ambassador Alexander Graf Lambsdorff and US ambassador Lynne Tracy. —