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On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin was absolutely certain that the Russian critic of the regime had been subjected to an assassination attempt. She was strongly supported by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. Both voiced, as an echo of reactions within the EU, condemnations in strong terms. They demanded that the Russian government cooperate to investigate what happened and who is responsible.
On Friday, the NATO defense alliance held an extra meeting due to the new attack with a nerve agent that is classified as a chemical weapon and is prohibited. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared, with strong emotions and moderate anger, at the following press conference:
– There is evidence beyond any doubt that Mr. Navalny was poisoned with a military nerve agent in the Novitjok group. Using such weapons is horrible. All the allies agreed today in condemning the attack.
“Total lack of respect”
The use of chemical weapons shows a total lack of respect for human life. It is an unacceptable violation of international norms and norms, according to Stoltenberg, who believed that Russia now has serious questions that must be answered. He called on the Russian government to cooperate fully with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in an independent international investigation.
“Those responsible for this attack must be held accountable and brought to justice,” said Stoltenberg, who wanted Russia to reveal all about the novitiate program.
This nerve agent was also used in the attempted assassination of Russian defector Sergej Skripal and his daughter Jula in Britain 2018. On Friday, Jens Stoltenberg said:
– Time and again, we have seen how opposition leaders and critics of the regime in Russia have been attacked and their lives threatened. Some have even died. So this is not just an attack on an individual, but on fundamental democratic rights. And it is a serious violation of international law and requires a non-international response.
While the EU is considering possible sanctions against Russia, NATO members will continue their contacts to see the significance of the incident, according to Stoltenberg.
Decisive what is happening in Belarus
An important factor will be what happens in Belarus. With the help of Russia, President Alexander Lukashenko is trying to restore order and silence the opposition so he can stay in office after criticism and failure in the West last month. He presents his regime as threatened by foreign forces inciting unrest. In neighboring Poland and Lithuania, NATO is preparing an invasion.
When Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Misjustin was in Minsk on Thursday, Lukashenko claimed that his security services had intercepted a phone call that showed, he claimed, that Navalny’s poisoning was fabricated to dissuade Putin from entering the Belarusian business.
Whether the convinced Michail Misjustin is uncertain. On the other hand, there are many signs that Lukashenko’s opposition to Russia’s increasing economic and political control over Belarus is waning. He is under existential pressure from the opposition and Putin is his lifeline. It costs, but it is perhaps the only possibility. Next week, a decision can be reached at a planned meeting between them in Moscow.
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