Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is set to face questions from broadcasters after the UK formally blamed the Kremlin for the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The UK and its allies—Sweden, France, Germany, and the Netherlands—announced on Saturday that Navalny was likely poisoned using a dart frog toxin, Epibatidine, which was found on his body.
The Foreign Office and allied nations stated that there was no innocent explanation for the presence of the toxin, which is produced by wild dart frogs in South America. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Cooper said: “Only the Russian Government had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin against Alexei Navalny during his imprisonment in Russia.”
Cooper met with Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, at the conference. In a statement, Cooper added: “By using this form of poison the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political opposition.” The UK and its allies warned that new sanctions could follow the revelations.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to Navalny’s “huge courage in the face of tyranny” and insisted the UK would continue to pressure Russia over its use of chemical and biological weapons. A joint statement from the five nations said: “Russia’s repeated disregard for international law and the Chemical Weapons Convention is clear.”
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel responded: “These appalling findings confirm what we have long suspected: Alexei Navalny was murdered for daring to speak out against Putin’s barbaric regime.” She is due to speak at the Munich conference on Sunday.
