Navalny blames Putin for his poisoning
Navalny has given the news magazine Der Spiegel his first extensive interview after being poisoned. He accuses Putin of being personally responsible for the attack and announced that he would return to Russia and continue his political struggle. Putin's press officer Dmitry Peskov reacted with the counteraccusation that Navalny was receiving instructions from the CIA.
The world has bigger problems to deal with
Radio Kommersant FM predicts that people will forget about the Navalny case:
“Both life itself and high politics are constantly in motion. War has broken out in Karabach, and it seems that Russia is needed once again to achieve peace. The situation in Belarus must also be clarified somehow. The West has plenty of problems of its own and can't take care of everything. That is why it is quite possible that the Navalny affair is upstaged at the international level. It could theoretically become part of a major deal. The longer it drags on, the more interesting it will get. But despite everything, it is to be hoped that at some point there will be a real opposition in Russia. And that Navalny will be able to return home fit and healthy.”
Why he is being cast as an agent for the US
In a Facebook post republished by Echo of Moscow, blogger Kirill Shulika suspects that the next attack on Navalny is already underway:
“Russia's state power is concerned about two things. Firstly, it doesn't want Navaly to return. ... Secondly, it is aware that the OPCW [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] will provide evidence of the use of a chemical weapon. And that will mean sanctions - even if Navalny is only calling for sanctions against individuals. That is why Peskov says that the CIA is working with Navalny and that Navalny is fighting politically against Putin. ... This is how they are making clear to him that the same fate that befell Ivan Safronov awaits him should he return.”