The Kremlin on Thursday rejected claims that Moscow was behind the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as calls mounted for international action after Germany said he had been dosed with Novichok.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Berlin had not provided Moscow with proof.
“There is no reason to accuse the Russian state,” Peskov said, rejecting talk of economic sanctions and urging the West not to “rush to judgement.” German officials briefed the other 26 EU countries in Brussels on Navalny.
EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said a “thorough, transparent” investigation was needed to identify those responsible.
“We are not there yet,” he said when asked about sanctions.
Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence agency, said Moscow could not rule out Western intelligence agencies had orchestrated the poisoning to stir up trouble, the RIA news agency reported.
Russian prosecutors have said they see no reason to launch a criminal investigation because they say they have found no sign a crime was committed, though pre-investigation checks are continuing.
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