Kremlin says no reason to blame Russia for Navalny poisoning

Moscow, Sep 3 (efe-epa).- The Kremlin said Thursday that there is no need to assume Russia was behind Alexei Navalny’s Novichok poisoning.

The 44-year-old is in a coma in Berlin’s Charité University Hospital where he was airlifted after falling ill in Siberia last month.

Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov has asked Berlin to produce the Russian opposition leader’s medical reports after Germany announced that he had been poisoned with a nerve agent.

He told reporters: “I would choose words carefully when speaking about accusations against the Russian state because there are no accusations at the moment and there is no reason to accuse the Russian state.

“We aren’t inclined to accept any accusations in this regard.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said there will be an “adequate joint response” from the European Union and NATO.

Peskov responded: “We certainly would not like our partners in Germany and other European countries to jump to conclusions and make assessments.”

He added: “We don’t understand what the reason for any sanctions could be.”

Any sanctions could paralyze the construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which carries Russian gas to Germany through the Baltic and which had been heavily criticized by the United States, Baltic countries and Poland.

Peskov said the completion of the project is in the interest of both Russia and Germany as well as European energy security.