While Russian President Vladimir Putin may have locked popular Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in an Arctic penal colony with harsh conditions, the Russian leader may not have planned for Navalny’s death to come so soon, according to US intelligence agencies cited by the Wall Street Journal on Saturday.
The report found that, while Putin was responsible for Navalny’s death, he likely did not order it at the time it occurred.
Despite the US intelligence agencies’ conclusion, some European nations and Navalny’s allies have rejected that Putin did not deliberately cause the death of Navalny. The European officials in the report claimed that the tightly controlled nature of the colony that Navalny was imprisoned in suggests Putin would have full awareness of the likely outcomes of the conditions.
Casting doubt on US findings
Leonid Volkov, a longtime Navalny ally, said in a statement that those who claim Putin was unaware of Navalny’s impending death “clearly do not understand anything about how modern day Russia is run…” and “The idea of Putin being not informed and not approving killing Navalny is ridiculous.”
Slawomir Debski, director of the Polish Institute of International Affairs, also affirmed Navalny was a high-value prisoner, politically, and everybody knew that Putin was personally invested in his fate. The chances for this kind of unintended death are low.”
The US government has accused Putin of attempting to assassinate Navalny numerous times in the past.
“Make no mistake. Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death,” US President Joe Biden said after Navalny’s death became public knowledge.
Only a week before Navalny’s death, the US had begun discussions on a potential prisoner swap. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by Navalny, claimed he was killed after Putin became aware of that potential prisoner swap and acted to prevent it.
However, Putin claimed that he had agreed with the US’s prisoner swap days before Navalny’s death, providing that Navalny never return to Russia.