Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed considering alternative versions of the incident with opposition figure Alexey Navalny, in particular, a Latvian involvement scenario, in recent phone talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Le Monde newspaper reported, citing sources
PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2020) Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed considering alternative versions of the incident with opposition figure Alexey Navalny, in particular, a Latvian involvement scenario, in recent phone talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Le Monde newspaper reported, citing sources.
In the phone talks on September 14, Macron said that France's analysis confirmed that Navalny had been poisoned with a Novichok-like substance. The French leader also called on Russia to clarify the situation. Meanwhile, Putin told his counterpart that groundless accusations against Russia in this case were unacceptable, adding that Germany, where Navalny's condition was analyzed, needed to share its findings with Moscow so that the situation could be clarified.
According to the French newspaper, the Russian president recalled during the talks that Navalny had a history of feigning poor health conditions. Putin also reportedly explained the absence of an official investigation by the fact that the results of the French and German analyses were not provided to Russian specialists.
In addition, Putin proposed that a scenario of Latvia's involvement be investigated since the inventor of the Novichok neurotoxic agent resides there. Macron, in turn, rejected the hypothesis, as well as the theory that Navalny could have poisoned himself, the media reported.
Navalny fell ill during a domestic flight in Russia on August 20. He was initially treated in the Siberian city of Omsk, where the plane had to urgently land. Two days later, once the doctors established he was fit for cross-border aerial transport, the 44-year-old was flown to the Berlin-based Charite clinic for further treatment.
The German government said doctors claimed they had proof Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent from the Novichok group of toxins. According to Berlin, the conclusions of its doctors were confirmed by laboratories in France and Sweden.
Conversely, tests conducted by doctors in Russia did not show traces of poison in Navalny's system, prompting Moscow to demand that Germany provide evidence to back up its claims. However, none has been received as of yet.
