themoscowtimes--2020-09-05--Trump: U.S. Has seen 'No Proof Yet' of Navalny Poisoning

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he had not yet seen proof that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny had been poisoned as stated by Germany .
`` I do n't know exactly what happened .
I think it 's tragic , it 's terrible , it should n't happen , '' Trump said .
`` We have n't had any proof yet , but I will take a look at it , '' Trump said in a press conference . ''
Trump said he had heard that Germany had made a finding that Navalny , who fell ill on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been poisoned with the deadly Novichok nerve agent .
Since then Europe has threatened new sanctions and NATO called for an international investigation into the alleged attempted assassination .
Germany has briefed its NATO partners and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said there was `` proof beyond doubt '' that Navalny was poisoned with Novichok .
`` We have not seen it ourselves , '' Trump said of the evidence from German investigators .
Based on what Germany is saying that seems to be the case , he added .
`` I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , '' he said .
Trump did not say what action he would take if convinced that President Vladimir Putin 's most potent political opponent had been the victim of a murder plot .
But he said he has been `` tougher on Russia than anybody else by far . ''
At the same time , Trump said , he considered ongoing nuclear arms negotiations with Moscow more important than any other issue .
`` It 's the most important thing , '' he said .

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he had not yet seen proof that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny had been poisoned as stated by Germany.
"I don't know exactly what happened. I think it's tragic, it's terrible, it shouldn't happen," Trump said.
"We haven't had any proof yet, but I will take a look at it," Trump said in a press conference."
Trump said he had heard that Germany had made a finding that Navalny, who fell ill on a Siberian flight last month, had been poisoned with the deadly Novichok nerve agent.
Since then Europe has threatened new sanctions and NATO called for an international investigation into the alleged attempted assassination.
Germany has briefed its NATO partners and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said there was "proof beyond doubt" that Navalny was poisoned with Novichok.
"We have not seen it ourselves," Trump said of the evidence from German investigators.
Based on what Germany is saying that seems to be the case, he added.
"I would be very angry if that's the case," he said.
Trump did not say what action he would take if convinced that President Vladimir Putin's most potent political opponent had been the victim of a murder plot.
But he said he has been "tougher on Russia than anybody else by far."
At the same time, Trump said, he considered ongoing nuclear arms negotiations with Moscow more important than any other issue.
"It's the most important thing," he said.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-06--UK Says Russian State Link Likely in Navalny Poisoning

Britain on Sunday said Russia had `` a very serious set of questions to answer '' about the poisoning of @ @ @ @ @ suggesting some form of state involvement in the high-profile case .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab @ @ @ @ @ '' the Kremlin critic was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok , which was @ @ @ @ @ against a Russian former double agent in Salisbury , southwest England , in 2018 .
@ @ @ @ @ being treated after falling ill last month , has said there was `` unequivocal evidence @ @ @ @ @ the agent but Moscow has said there was no proof of poisoning .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ it comes to the question of attribution , to think of a plausible explanation of @ @ @ @ @ emanation of the Russian state , simply because Novichok is hard to get your hands @ @ @ @ @ , '' Raab told Sky News television .
`` And so what is clear right @ @ @ @ @ has a very serious set of questions to answer . ''

Britain on Sunday said Russia had "a very serious set of questions to answer" about the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, suggesting some form of state involvement in the high-profile case.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it was "clear" the Kremlin critic was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, which was previously used in an attack against a Russian former double agent in Salisbury, southwest England, in 2018.
Germany, where Navalny is being treated after falling ill last month, has said there was "unequivocal evidence" of the use of the agent but Moscow has said there was no proof of poisoning.
"It's very difficult, when it comes to the question of attribution, to think of a plausible explanation of being anyone other than some emanation of the Russian state, simply because Novichok is hard to get your hands on, hard to control," Raab told Sky News television.
"And so what is clear right now is that Russian government has a very serious set of questions to answer."


themoscowtimes--2020-09-06--Germany Threatens Sanctions Against Russia Over Navalny Poisoning

Germany , the current head of the European Union , will discuss possible sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of Alexei Navalny if the Kremlin does not provide an explanation soon , its foreign minister said Sunday .
Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption campaigner Navalny fell ill on a flight last month and was treated in a Siberian hospital before being evacuated to Berlin .
Germany said last week there was `` unequivocal evidence '' that President Vladimir Putin 's top foe had been poisoned using Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok .
`` We have high expectations of the Russian government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heiko Maas told German daily Bild .
`` If the government has nothing to do with the attack , then it is in its own interest to back this up with facts . ''
If Russia does not help clarify what happened `` in the coming days '' , Germany will be compelled to `` discuss a response with our allies , '' Maas said .
The crime against Navalny was a violation of the international Chemical Weapons Convention and there must be an appropriate response , he said .
`` When we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as targeted as possible . ''
Western leaders and many Russians have expressed horror at what Navalny 's allies say is the first known use of chemical weapons against a high-profile opposition leader on Russian soil .
The Kremlin has denied responsibility for the attack and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Germany is yet to share any findings with Moscow 's prosecutors .
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Sunday accused Germany of stalling efforts to probe the Navalny case .
`` Berlin is stalling the process of investigation for which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she said on Facebook .

Germany, the current head of the European Union, will discuss possible sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of Alexei Navalny if the Kremlin does not provide an explanation soon, its foreign minister said Sunday.
Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption campaigner Navalny fell ill on a flight last month and was treated in a Siberian hospital before being evacuated to Berlin.
Germany said last week there was "unequivocal evidence" that President Vladimir Putin's top foe had been poisoned using Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.
"We have high expectations of the Russian government to solve this serious crime," Heiko Maas told German daily Bild. "If the government has nothing to do with the attack, then it is in its own interest to back this up with facts."
If Russia does not help clarify what happened "in the coming days", Germany will be compelled to "discuss a response with our allies," Maas said.
The crime against Navalny was a violation of the international Chemical Weapons Convention and there must be an appropriate response, he said. "When we think about sanctions, they should be as targeted as possible."
Western leaders and many Russians have expressed horror at what Navalny's allies say is the first known use of chemical weapons against a high-profile opposition leader on Russian soil.
The Kremlin has denied responsibility for the attack and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Germany is yet to share any findings with Moscow's prosecutors.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Sunday accused Germany of stalling efforts to probe the Navalny case.
"Berlin is stalling the process of investigation for which it's calling. On purpose?" she said on Facebook.