According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely did not order the killing of opposition figure Alexei Navalny at an Arctic prison camp in February.
Navalny, a prominent critic of Putin, died at the age of 47, prompting accusations from his allies that Putin orchestrated his murder.
The Kremlin has consistently denied any involvement, with Putin himself describing Navalny‘s death as “sad” and indicating a willingness to exchange him with the West, provided Navalny stayed out of Russia.
While the U.S. intelligence report suggests Putin may not have directly ordered Navalny’s death, it does not absolve him of overall responsibility, considering Navalny’s history of being targeted by Russian authorities.
Navalny had faced imprisonment on what the West deemed politically motivated charges and had previously survived poisoning with a nerve agent in 2020, an incident also denied by the Kremlin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the Journal’s report, labeling it as “empty speculation.” He questioned the quality of the report, suggesting it lacked substance deserving of attention.
The Journal cited its sources as stating that the findings had been widely accepted within the intelligence community, including agencies such as the CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the State Department’s intelligence unit.
The U.S. assessment reportedly relied on various sources, including classified intelligence and analysis of public information, such as the timing of Navalny’s death and its impact on Putin’s re-election campaign.
While some dismissed the U.S. findings as naive, others viewed them as a significant development in understanding Navalny’s death.
Navalny’s aides expressed skepticism towards the U.S. intelligence report, labeling it as naive and ridiculous. Despite differing perspectives, Navalny’s death remains a contentious issue, further straining relations between Russia and the West.
