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In his first feedback on the investigation, Putin did not dispute any particulars of the findings however primarily confirmed that FSB brokers did certainly path Navalny.
Putin claimed with out proof that Navalny — whom he referred to as “this patient in the Berlin clinic” — is being supported by US intelligence companies, including, “if that’s correct, then that’s interesting, then of course [our] special services need to keep an eye on him.”
“But that doesn’t mean he needs to be poisoned, who needs him anyway? If [they] wanted to, they would’ve probably finished it,” Putin added. “But in this case, his wife asked me, and I immediately gave the order to let him out of the country to be treated in Germany… This is a trick to attack the leaders [in Russia].”
In CNN’s report printed Monday, specialists in toxicology mentioned Novichok may take up to 12 hours to have an effect on the nervous system, relying on the dosage and the way it’s administered. Short of injecting precisely the proper dose into somebody, it is sort of unattainable for the perpetrator to dose Novichok in order to incapacitate fairly than kill.
Putin described experiences about Navalny — to whom he didn’t at any level refer by title — as “implanted stories.”
“There is actually nothing surprising about the fact that these implanted stories are taking place. They have always been and will always be,” he mentioned.
Putin held the marathon press convention at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence in the Moscow area. A choose group of socially distanced state media journalists, who had to bear quarantine earlier than attending, have been in the room with him. Other journalists and residents posed questions through video hyperlink from Moscow and elsewhere.
‘Informational warfare’
In a brief Q&A session after the 4.5-hour occasion, Putin claimed the CNN-Bellingcat investigation, which established {that a} group of FSB brokers trailed opposition leader Navalny utilizing billing information obtained by Bellingcat, was a type of “information warfare” facilitated by overseas particular companies.
Asked whether or not he believes that the private information of Russian safety officers being “stolen” by different intelligence companies is a “routine thing,” Putin replied: “This happens all the time and this happens everywhere, we know that they are not even hiding that, and some former employees of the NSA talk about this in general, not only in terms of us but even their own citizens.
“This is how the particular companies work there. I truthfully do not see something [special] in it, that is only a compilation, a dump the place every little thing is being dumped, dumped, dumped in hopes that it will make an impression on the residents, instill distrust in direction of political management,” Putin added. “This is one in all the types of data warfare.”
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, was also asked why Navalny was being surveilled by a group of FSB agents, identified in the CNN-Bellingcat investigation.
“The president mentioned why they’re maintaining a tally of him… the rising ‘ears’ of overseas particular companies and, as we have repeatedly mentioned, the varied statements about overthrowing the authorities additionally increase a variety of questions,” Peskov said.
Meanwhile Navalny, who continues his recovery in Germany after spending weeks in a coma in Berlin’s Charite clinic, responded Thursday for the first time to questions from the Russian authorities about the poisoning.
“I spent the whole first half of the day in the German prosecutor’s workplace. They interrogated me at the request of the Russian facet,” Navalny wrote on his Facebook page.
“[Russian authorities] requested [the German side] to interrogate me and despatched of their questions. I used to be requested these questions, the solutions have been protocoled and might be despatched to Moscow,” Navalny added in his post.
Russian authorities have been requesting materials from the German investigation for months.
Putin denies US election interference
Putin also addressed the question of Russia’s troubled relations with the United States, saying he hoped some of the problems would be resolved under the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden.
“We proceed from the undeniable fact that the elected president of the United States will perceive what is going on on — he’s an skilled man, each in home and overseas coverage,” Putin mentioned.
Asked why the Russian hackers didn’t “assist get Trump elected” in the 2020 presidential run, Putin slammed the question — from famous musician-turned-journalist Sergey Shnurov — as a provocation and once again denied any interference in US elections.
“Russian hackers didn’t assist the still-acting US president get elected and didn’t intervene in the inside affairs of this nice nation,” Putin said. “This is only a hypothesis. It is a pretext to harm US-Russia relations; it’s a pretext to not acknowledge the legitimacy of the still-acting head of state of the US due to inside political causes.”
Trump repeatedly dismissed claims that Russia tried to help him win in 2016 as a “hoax.”
CNN has reached out to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence for comment, but has received no response.
Shnurov, of television station RTVI, also half-jokingly asked Putin if Russia would be willing to support Trump after he leaves office and give him a job or an asylum in Russia, as granted to former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
“There is not any want for Trump to search a job [in Russia]. Almost 50% of the inhabitants voted for him if we depend the fashionable vote and never the electoral school,” Putin said. “[Trump] has a pretty big help base inside the United States, and, so far as I perceive, he’s not going to depart the political lifetime of his nation.”
Putin then accused the US intelligence services of interfering in Russia’s domestic affairs by “planting” stories about the financial activities of his family and allies, without offering any evidence.
“That’s the State Department and the US safety companies, they’re the actual authors. Anyway, this has clearly been completed on their orders. This is completely apparent,” Putin said. He added that “the purpose is to take revenge and try to affect public opinion in our nation.”
Putin, who has been in power for two decades, said he had not yet decided whether he would stand again for President in 2024, when his current term expires.
Putin urges mass vaccination
Earlier in the press conference, Putin — who is 68 — confirmed that he has not been inoculated with a Russian coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, as it is yet to be recommended for people older than 60.
“The vaccines which can be being circulated amongst the normal inhabitants right now are meant for folks in a sure age group, and the vaccines have not but reached folks like me,” said Putin.
“I’m a law-abiding citizen in that matter, I pay attention to the suggestions of our specialists and thus far have not taken it. But I’ll do it as quickly as it turns into a risk.”
Russia registered Sputnik V in August ahead of key large-scale Phase 3 trials necessary to establish the vaccine’s efficacy and safety, drawing skepticism both in Russia and internationally. According to the product description, the vaccine is recommended for use in people aged 18 to 60 and is not advised for people with a number of chronic diseases and health conditions.
“I believe it’s obligatory to [have mass vaccination], specialists throughout the world say that mass vaccination is one in all the only a few methods to overcome this pandemic, it ought to create inhabitants immunity,” Putin said. “And I repeat that our vaccine is efficient and protected, so I see no purpose not to vaccinate.”
During the news conference, Putin also touched on production challenges faced by Russia, saying the country so far does not have enough “{hardware}” to manufacture the obligatory quantity of the vaccine and is working to improve the variety of appropriate manufacturing websites.
CNN’s Mary Ilyushina reported from Moscow and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN’s Anna Chernova contributed to this report.
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