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

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

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

READ: Putin Critic Navalny Calls On EU To Take Strong Action Against 'profiteers' Of Kremlin

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

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

Germany presses for sanctions 

German Foreign Minister Heiko called the attack “a serious breach of international law” and said the country will coordinate a response with its European allies and at the OPCW in the coming days. He reportedly said that there is no way around sanctions against Russia if the Kremlin's involvement in the Navalny case is established.

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.

In addition to this, Russia has denied all the allegations and said that the nerve agents are not being developed in the 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. 

READ: Navalny Recounts Poisoning Experience; Says 'felt No Pain, Could Sense This Was The End'

READ: Kremlin Accuses Navalny Of Working With CIA; Putin's Critic To Sue Govt Spokesperson
Inputs: ANI