Macron warns Russia of consequences if it fails to explain Navalny's poisoning

French President Emmanuel Macron demanded a swift explanation from Russia on the “attempted assassination” of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using a nerve agent. Speaking at the annual gathering of UN General Assembly, Macron warned Moscow of consequences if it fails to provide “swift and flawless” explanation on the poison attack.

“We will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons in Europe, Russia or Syria,” the French President told the UNGA meet, urging Russia to shed “full light” on the incident.  

German health authorities had confirmed the poisoning of Navalny with a nerve agent from the Novichok group, citing toxicological test results. Later, specialist laboratories in France and Sweden also confirmed the poisoning with the Soviet-style nerve agent Novichok. Germany informed that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is still investigating the cause independently.

Read: Kremlin Critic Navalny Demands Russia To Return His Clothes For Investigation

Read: Kremlin Critic Alexei Navalny Says Traces Of Novichok Found 'in And On' His Body

'Red lines'

Navalny's team said that the politician was poisoned at his hotel room in the Siberian city of Tomsk and not at the airport as suspected earlier. The team informed that they collected everything they could from the hotel room on the day he fell sick and sent it to Germany for investigation. The German laboratory found traces of Novichok agent on bottles collected from Navalny's room.  

“This clarification must be swift and flawless, as we will enforce our red lines,” Macron warned Kremlin, without elaborating on the supposed action if Russia fails to provide satisfactory explanation.

Meanwhile, the Russian opposition leader has asked Kremlin to hand over the clothes he was wearing when he fell unconscious on a flight after alleged poisoning. The anti-corruption campaigner has accused Kremlin of using “pre-investigation probe” to hide the important piece of evidence in the poisoning case, demanding Russia to return the clothes after packing it carefully in a plastic bag.

“Considering Novichok was found on my body, and that infection through contact is very likely, my clothes are a very important piece of evidence,” he wrote on his website.

Read: Germany Says Chemical Weapon Watchdog Still Investigating Alexei Navalny's Case

Read: Kremlin Accuses Alexie Navalny’s Aides Of Taking Potential Evidence Out Of Country