WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. intelligence services believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not directly order the killing of opposition politician Alexei Navalny in February. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) writes based on sources that the president was probably not aware of the moment when Navalny died. But the services have no doubts about Putin’s responsibility.
The WSJ writes about a report from the American intelligence services, including the CIA. They would agree that Putin was not aware of the timing of Navalny’s death.
According to the newspaper, the American findings were shared with European intelligence services. According to the newspaper, several of them doubt the American explanation. These types of decisions cannot be taken in Russia without the knowledge of the president, they argue. Navalny’s former aide Leonid Volkov also calls the findings naive and “ridiculous.”
Navalny died in February under suspicious circumstances in a prison camp in Siberia. US President Joe Biden said shortly afterwards that the US holds the Russian government responsible for his death.
