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As soon as Berlin confirmed Wednesday that there was “conclusive evidence” that Russian dissident Alexei Navalny had been poisoned by Novichok, international condemnation flooded. At the same time, Moscow declared through the Kremlin spokesman its willingness to “cooperate with Germany”, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked it to “answer the questions raised.”
Considered German Chancellor Angela Merkel On Wednesday that only Russia “can and should” answer the “questions” raised about the exposure of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny to the poisoning of Novichok, which aimed to “silence” him.
Merkel told the press that the Russian dissident, who was admitted to the Berlin hospital and examined according to the German government, had been poisoned by a neurotoxic substance of the “Novichok type”, he was a “victim of a crime” intended to “silence him” . She added that “serious questions are now being raised and only the Russian government can and should” answer them.
Russia is willing to cooperate
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared on Wednesday that Russia is ready to “fully cooperate” with Germany on the issue. Russian dissident Alexei Navalny.
“We are ready and interested in cooperating and exchanging information on this issue with Germany,” Peskov said, according to the official RIA Novosti agency.
Paris denounces the “shocking and irresponsible use” of Novichok against Navalny
On Wednesday, France condemned the “shocking and irresponsible use” of the nerve agent Novichok against Alexei Navalny.
The French Foreign Minister said Jean-Yves Le Drian In a statement, “I would like to denounce in the strongest terms the shocking and irresponsible use of such material.”
“Given Navalny’s political position in Russia, the attack on him raises urgent questions. It is the responsibility of the Russian authorities to answer them.”
He explained that “France is in close contact with the German authorities as well as with our partners to coordinate the proper response” to the operation, which unleashed a wave of condemnation in the West.
In the statement, Le Drian emphasized that “the use of chemical weapons anywhere, at any time, whatever it is and in any circumstance, is unacceptable and violates international standards against the use of these weapons.”
The White House expresses “grave concern”
On Wednesday, the White House expressed “grave concern” and National Security Council spokesman John Oliot wrote in a tweet that “the poisoning of Alexei Navalny is completely reprehensible,” expressing “the deep concern of the United States over the results. announced today “in Berlin.
(1 of 3) “The United States is deeply concerned by the results released today. The poisoning of Alexei Navalny is completely reprehensible. Russia has used the chemical nerve agent Novichok in the past.
– NSC (@WHNSC) September 2, 2020
He noted that “Russia has previously used Novichok nerve gas in the past,” noting: “We will work with allies and the international community to hold people in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, and to cut funding for their activities. malicious “.
“The Russian people have the right to express their views peacefully without fear of any punishment of any kind, and certainly not with chemicals,” he said.
(3 of 3) “The Russian people have the right to express their views peacefully without fear of retaliation of any kind, and certainly not with chemical agents.” – NSC Spokesperson John Ullyot
– NSC (@WHNSC) September 2, 2020
London: Russia must “tell the truth”
On Wednesday Britain also asked Russia to “tell the truth”, saying that it is “absolutely unacceptable” to use a “prohibited chemical weapon”.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “It is absolutely unacceptable to use this banned chemical weapon again and for violence to attack a Russian opposition figure again.”
“The Russian government … must tell the truth about what happened to Navalny,” he added. He pledged to “work closely with Germany and our international allies and partners to demonstrate that the use of prohibited chemical weapons, anywhere in the world, has consequences.”
The President of the European Commission condemns “despicable and cowardly act”
And the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said Wednesday that the Russian opposition Alexei Navalny was the victim of a “despicable and cowardly act”.
Chancellor Merkel informed me that the leader of the Russian opposition, Navalny, was attacked with a nerve agent in his own country. This is a despicable and cowardly act, once again. The perpetrators must be brought to justice.
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 2, 2020
“It is a despicable and cowardly act, once again,” he wrote in a tweet, referring to the use of a substance that was developed in the Soviet era to poison former spy Sergey Skripal in 2018 on British soil.
She said: “The perpetrators (of this poisoning) must be prosecuted.”
For his part, the Chancellor of the European Union, Josep Borrell, condemned “in the strongest terms the poisoning” of the Russian opposition.
He recalled that the Novichok-type nerve toxins “were developed by the Soviet Union and then by Russia.”
He noted in a statement that “resorting to chemical weapons, whatever the circumstances, is totally unacceptable and constitutes a violation of international law.”
Borrell added: “It is imperative that the Russian government carry out a full and transparent investigation into the Navalny assassination attempt,” demanding that those responsible be “brought to justice.”
He warned that “the European Union will closely monitor this issue and discuss its implications.”
NATO Secretary General denounces
وندد NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg The matter was described as “shocking” and Russia was asked to investigate the case.
“The German government announced that Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack with a Novichok-type neurotoxic substance. This is shocking, and it condemned him in the strongest terms,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.
Berlin announced that tests by a German armed forces laboratory had given “conclusive evidence of the presence of a Novichok-type neurotoxic chemical” at Navalny, which had been used to poison former double agent Sergey Skripal in Britain in 2018.
Stoltenberg considered that “the use of a military-type neurotoxic substance makes it more urgent for the Russian authorities to carry out a thorough and transparent investigation”, stressing that those responsible for the attack must be held accountable.
“We will consult with Germany and all allies on the implications of these results. NATO views any use of chemical weapons as a threat to international peace and security,” he added.
France 24 / AFP
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