Image copyright pyrite
Reuters
NATO says there is “beyond doubt” evidence that Mr Nalvani was attacked by a nerve agent
President Donald Trump has refused to condemn Russia for poisoning opposition figures Alexei Navalny, saying he has not seen evidence.
He said the case was tragic but urged reporters to focus on China instead, which he said posed a greater threat to the world than Russia.
NATO and Germany say there is “beyond doubt” evidence that Mr Navalny was attacked by a Novichok nerve agent.
His team says he was poisoned at the behest of the Kremlin. Russia denies this.
Mr Navalny – an anti-corruption campaigner who has long been the most prominent face of opposition to President Vladimir Putin in Russia – was in a coma in a hospital in Berlin, where he was airlifted from Siberia, where he fell ill.
- Two hours that saved the life of Alexei Navalny
- What are Novichok Nerve Agents?
What did Trump say?
Speaking at a press event on Friday, he said he has not yet seen evidence of poisoning in the case.
“So I don’t know exactly what happened. I think it’s tragic, it’s terrible, it shouldn’t happen. We don’t have any evidence yet, but I’ll take a look.”
He also stopped criticizing Mr Putin, saying Beijing was a big threat.
“Interestingly, everyone always mentions Russia and I don’t mind mentioning Russia, but I think maybe at this point China is a nation that you should talk more about.”
What is the position of NATO?
Tests at Germany’s military laboratory show the presence of the Novich ok nerve agent “beyond doubt,” the German government and NATO say.
On Friday, NATO called on Russia to disclose its Novichok nerve agent program to international monitors. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said members were united in condemning the “horrific” attack on Mr Navalny.
- Alexei Navalny: Putin Critic in the Voice of Russia
- The Trump campaign was a ‘serious threat’ to Russia’s relations
Mr Stoltenberg said he needed an international response, but did not elaborate.
U.S. The National Security Council has pledged to work with allies and the international community to hold the Russian people accountable.
What has Russia said?
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in Mr Navalny’s case.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Germany had not yet shared any findings with Moscow’s lawyer and said Russia had “nothing to hide”.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
Meanwhile a toxicologist in Omsk – where Mr Navalny was initially treated after his plane took off and made an emergency landing – insisted no toxins had been found by the doctors investigating there.
“Any external factors can cause sudden deterioration. Even a simple lack of breakfast,” said Alexander Sabayev, chief toxicologist of the Omsk region.
What happened to Navalni?
He fell ill last month on a flight from Siberia to Moscow.
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk and persuaded Russian authorities to allow it to land at the airport in Germany two days later.
A nerve agent from the Novichok group, known by Germany, was also used in the Noulv case in the UK in 2018 to poison former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. They both survived but died when they came in contact with a local woman named Don Sturges. Poison.
Britain has accused Russia’s military intelligence of carrying out the attack in Salisbury. As part of a coordinated response, 20 countries expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats and spies. Russia denied any involvement.
