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NATO condemns the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny as a serious violation of international law and demands that Russia consent to international investigations. Statements from NATO headquarters in Brussels and the president of the EU Council on Friday indicated, however, that it is not yet clear how Russia might react to the unwillingness to provide information.
The Kremlin continues to reject any involvement in the case and does not assess the evidence as clearly as Germany and many other countries. According to investigations by a special Bundeswehr laboratory, the German government considers that it is beyond doubt that Navalny was poisoned with the military neurotoxin Novitschok. The opposition politician suddenly fell into a coma on a flight over Russia on August 20 and was later transferred to the Berlin Charité at the insistence of his family. According to the Charité, his health is still serious.
“The Russian government must cooperate fully with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the context of an impartial international investigation,” demanded NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, after unscheduled consultations with the ambassadors of the US states. alliance. “Those responsible must be held accountable and brought to justice.” The act is not only an attack on an individual, but also a serious violation of international law, which requires an international response.
The Norwegian left open the question whether NATO could withdraw the accreditation of the employees of the Russian NATO mission, as in the Skripal case. There are parallels because of the type of neurotoxin used, Stoltenberg said. At the same time, the cases also differ, among other things, because Navalny, as a Russian citizen, was attacked in Russia.
However, the nerve poison attack on former Russian double agent Sergej Skripal was carried out in 2018 in Great Britain, and thus on NATO territory. At that time, the alliance had seven employees of the Russian NATO mission expelled and the maximum size of the Russian delegation to NATO was limited to 30 to 20 people.
On Friday, Germany and France once again called on Russia to investigate the Navalny poisoning. Those responsible should be brought to justice, according to a joint statement by Foreign Ministers Heiko Maas and Jean-Yves Le Drian. The attack on Navalny was a “very serious violation of the fundamental principles of democracy and political pluralism.”
The United States is “deeply concerned
The United States was also “deeply concerned.” The use of such a chemical weapon by Russia would be a clear violation of obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the US State Department said on Friday. Deputy Foreign Minister Stephen Biegun briefed Russia’s Ambassador to the United States, Anatoliy Antonov. Biegun urged Russia to fully cooperate with the international community to resolve the case.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) offered assistance with education on Thursday. Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, poisoning a person with a nerve gas is evaluated as the use of chemical weapons, he said.
After the European Union openly threatened Russia with sanctions on Thursday night, Council President Charles Michel announced a debate on Friday on the consequences of the “assassination attempt.” After the EU foreign ministers, heads of state and government could also take care of it, he told various European news agencies in an interview. The fact that German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with the support of other EU politicians, gave Navalny help right away was “a strong European statement.”
On Friday, Austria appointed the Russian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry in Vienna. Dmitri Ljubinski was clearly briefed on Austria’s position in line with the EU line, a spokeswoman for the APA Foreign Ministry said. Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) once again called for a transparent investigation and clarification of the case.
After his conversation with the political director of the Foreign Ministry, Gregor Kössler, the Russian ambassador abruptly rejected that demand that night. “In view of the lack of information, facts and concrete data on the part of Germany, I consider the request to Russia for a quick, transparent and complete clarification inappropriate,” Lyubinsky wrote on Facebook late in the afternoon.
Steinmeier: “A crime has been committed here”
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier found clear words at night. “The fact that the opposition and critical voices in Russia should fear for their health or their serial lives is undoubtedly a heavy burden on the credibility of the Russian leadership and hinders cooperation,” he told the Germany publishing network. The wrong must be clearly stated. “And a crime has been committed here, the perpetrators of which can only be found in Russia.”
The Kremlin still considers this to be unproven. “If information on toxic substances in patient samples is confirmed, there is no doubt that the investigation will begin,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Interfax, in Moscow. “In this case we are counting on dialogue with our German colleagues.”
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a request from Russia’s Attorney General’s Office has not received a response so far. “We have nothing to hide,” Lavrov said. He hopes Berlin will present “hard facts” soon. Then the Ministry will react accordingly. Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokolzew also said: “Of course, I understand that Germany has a lot of experience with toxins, but so far there have been no results from our German colleagues.”
The Foreign Ministry in Moscow stressed that the case should not be misused for political purposes. The accusations should not be spread through “megaphone diplomacy,” it was said after a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Gruschko and EU Ambassador Markus Ederer.
The Berlin judiciary confirmed on Friday receipt of a request for legal assistance from the Russian Attorney General. According to their own statements, the Siberian police had previously launched “preliminary investigations”. He wants unspecified evidence to be secured and surveillance cameras evaluated. So far, by their own account, Russian investigators have found no evidence of poisoning. Peskow said that the “preliminary investigations” are “de facto investigative measures.” A Russian court dismissed a complaint from Nawalny’s lawyer on Friday: The actions of the Russian authorities were not objectionable, he said. (apa)
