Netherlands backs Germany and France over sanctions against Russia in Navalny case

In a recent development, Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok reaffirmed Nerland's support for Germany and France calling for sanctions on Russia over alleged poisoning of Putin critic Alexei Navalny on Wednesday, October 7.

Earlier, Foreign Ministers of Germany and France issued a joint statement claiming that Russian opposition figure was poisoned with "a military-gre nerve nt from 'vichok' group developed by Russia". In response to this, Russian Foreign Ministry criticised Berlin and Paris while rejecting joint statement as false and unacceptable. 

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Dutch foreign minister furr said that Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) also confirmed vichok was used on Navalny and slammed that use of chemical weapons as unacceptable. 

RE: German Foreign Minister Assures Of Sanctions If Russia Gets Implicated In Navalny Case

Germany presses for sanctions 

German Foreign Minister Heiko called attack “a serious breach of international law” and said country will coordinate a response with its European allies and at OPCW in coming days. He reportedly said that re is way around sanctions against Russia if Kremlin's involvement in Navalny case is established.

German health authorities h confirmed poisoning of Navalny with a nerve nt from vichok group, citing toxicological test results. Later, specialist laboratories in France and Sweden also confirmed poisoning with Soviet-style nerve nt vichok.

In dition to this, Russia has denied all allegations and said that nerve nts are t being developed in country. Navalny fell ill on a domestic flight in Russia on August 20 and was treated in a hospital in Omsk. He was later moved to Berlin-based Charite hospital and was discharged on September 23. 

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Inputs: ANI