Russia: Germany has no proof of poisoning
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman brushed off allegations Thursday that the Kremlin was involved in poisoning the leader’s most determined critic, accusing Germany of not providing any evidence about the condition of dissident Alexei Navalny.
Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk.
He has been in an induced coma in a Berlin hospital after being flown from Siberia to Germany for treatment more than a week ago.
German authorities said Wednesday that tests showed “proof without doubt” that he had been poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.
British authorities identified the Soviet-era Novichok as the poison used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Thursday that Russian authorities still hadn’t received any evidence from Germany to back up their allegation.
“We haven’t received any information so far,” Peskov said. “We hope that it will happen soon and will help figure out what caused the condition the patient is in right now.”
Peskov reiterated that Russian specialists in Omsk tested Navalny for poisonous substances and didn’t find any in his system.
He said Russian investigators conducting a preliminary inquiry into Navalny’s illness should know “what our German colleagues found and established.”
Following his stay in Omsk, Navalny was moved two days later to Berlin’s Charite hospital after German Chancellor Angela Merkel personally offered the country’s assistance in treating him.
He’s now in stable condition, but doctors expect a long recovery and haven’t ruled out that the 44-year-old Navalny could face long-term effects to his health.
Merkel on Wednesday called Navalny’s poisoning an attempted murder that aimed to silence one of Putin’s fiercest critics and called for a full investigation.
“There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer,” Merkel said.
Germany’s Justice Ministry has confirmed it had received Russia’s request for information, but wouldn’t provide details on the response.
In Washington, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said: “Alexei Navalny’s poisoning is completely reprehensible. Russia has used chemical nerve agents in the past and we’re working with our allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable wherever the evidence leads and restrict funds for their malign activities.”
Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, described “the situation with Navalny” as an antiRussian plot.
“It’s a planned action against Russia in order to impose new sanctions and try to impede the development of our country,” Volodin said in a statement.