NATO today called for an international probe into the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and demanded that Moscow reveal its Novichok nerve agent programme to the global chemical weapons watchdog.

After an emergency meeting of its ruling council, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said all countries are united in condemning the “horrific” attack on Navalny.

Germany, where the Kremlin critic is being treated, briefed the other 29 nations on the case, and Stoltenberg said there is “proof beyond doubt” that Novichok was used.

“The Russian government must fully cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on an impartial international investigation.

“We also call on Russia to provide complete disclosure of the Novichok programme to OPCW.”

The infamous Soviet-era nerve agent was also used against Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England two years ago, an attack that led to seven Kremlin diplomats being expelled from their Nato mission.

While Stoltenberg did not rule out a similar reprisal this time, he stressed that the Navalny poisoning, which took place in Russia, is quite different from the Skripal attack, which happened on the soil of a Nato member.

“We strongly believe that this is a blatant violation of international law, so it requires an international response, but I will not now speculate about exactly what kind of international response.”

The European Union and other global powers, too, have called for an OPCW probe, voicing scepticism that Russia will investigate Navalny’s poisoning properly.

The Kremlin has already insisted that the Russian state cannot be blamed, and earlier today, a Russian toxicologist said Navalny’s health could have deteriorated due to dieting or stress. – AFP, September 4, 2020.