Forgive us for finding the international pressure for an investigation into the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny to be a little … hopeless.
Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s biggest domestic critic of the last decade, has been in a coma since last week. After delaying his transfer abroad, the Russian government pounces on the idea that there is something to investigate, unless it is proven that he is poisoned.
But German doctors confirm that Navalny was poisoned. They do not know the exact agent, but say it comes from the group of chemicals known as cholinesterase inhibitors, which interfere with the nervous system.
“We do not understand why our German colleagues are in such a hurry to use the word poison,” said Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokeswoman said: “The suspicion is not that Mr Navalny poisoned himself, but that someone poisoned Mr Navalny. And there are unfortunately one or two examples of such poisonings in recent Russian history. . ”
Britain and the United States have joined the European Union in a call for a full investigation. But that would require the sincere help of Moscow. And let’s be honest: there is no way on God’s green earth that Putin will allow that.
Perps do not cooperate with catches.
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