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Moscow:
The Kremlin on Thursday rejected claims that Moscow was behind the poisoning of opposition chief Alexei Navalny, as calls mounted for worldwide motion after Germany stated he had been dosed with Novichok.
Western leaders are demanding solutions from Moscow after Berlin stated Wednesday there was “unequivocal evidence” that the 44-year-old Kremlin critic had been bothered by the notorious nerve agent.
Navalny, certainly one of President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critics, fell sick on a flight final month and was handled in a Siberian hospital earlier than being evacuated to Berlin.
Germany’s declare that he was uncovered to Novichok — the identical substance used in opposition to Russian ex-double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter within the English city of Salisbury two years in the past — prompted widespread condemnation and calls for for an investigation.
Russia denies there may be any proof that Navalny was poisoned and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Thursday that Berlin had not offered Moscow with proof.
“There is no reason to accuse the Russian state,” Peskov stated, rejecting speak of financial sanctions and urging the West to not “rush to judgement”.
Already affected by wide-ranging Western sanctions imposed over its 2014 annexation of Crimea, in addition to the results of the coronavirus pandemic and the drop in oil costs, Moscow might be anxious to keep away from any additional strain on its economic system.
German officers briefed the opposite 26 EU nations in Brussels on Navalny.
EU overseas affairs spokesman Peter Stano stated a “thorough, transparent” investigation was wanted to determine these accountable.
“We are not there yet,” he stated when requested about sanctions.
– ‘Poisoned relations with West’ –
Germany’s announcement despatched the ruble plunging to its lowest degree in opposition to the euro since 2016 and Moscow’s RTS inventory change fell greater than three p.c.
“Russia’s relations with the West have once again been poisoned by Novichok,” wrote enterprise every day Kommersant.
“The main question is, how far will they decide to go?” it stated.
On the streets of Moscow, some expressed fears of a brand new hit for the Russian economic system.
“I think some sanctions will be imposed and the whole situation is quite tragic. It’s quite worrisome,” stated Mikhail, a monetary analyst who refused to offer his surname.
Others dismissed the menace, pointing to authorities claims that sanctions had helped diversify Russia’s economic system away from oil and fuel.
“The government says that our economy is improving due to sanctions and we are beginning to look like a developed country rather than a gas station,” stated Pavel Shkalikov, a journey agent.
A brand new disaster in relations with the West might additionally threaten Russia’s Nord Stream 2 undertaking, a 10 billion-euro ($11 billion) pipeline which is about to double Russian pure fuel shipments to Germany.
The undertaking has been delayed for months after Washington moved to impose new sanctions on corporations concerned in Nord Stream 2, over fears of rising Russian affect.
Germany voiced anger over the US strikes, saying Washington was interfering in its inside affairs.
But the nation’s largest newspaper Bild on Thursday referred to as for the undertaking to be suspended, saying that “if the (German) government does not stop the construction of Nord Stream 2, we will soon be financing Putin’s Novichok attacks”.
– ‘Grave concern’ –
German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated the Novichok findings raised “some very serious questions that only Russia can and must answer”, whereas the United States, Britain, France, the EU and NATO all expressed shock.
The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the world chemical arms watchdog, expressed “grave concern” and added that the Hague-based physique was prepared to assist any member nation.
Navalny fell sick after boarding a aircraft in Siberia final month, with aides saying they think he drank a cup of spiked tea on the airport.
He was initially handled in an area hospital, the place docs stated they have been unable to seek out any poisonous substances in his blood, earlier than he was flown to Berlin for specialised remedy on August 22.
The charismatic Yale-educated lawyer continues to be within the intensive care unit and stays on a ventilator.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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