By Elsie Kamsiyochi
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that Washington has no reason to dispute a recent assessment by several European allies concluding that late Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was poisoned, describing the findings as “troubling” and serious.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Slovakia, Rubio addressed a report released a day earlier by five European governments—Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands which blamed Russia for Navalny’s death using a rare toxin derived from poison dart frogs.
The countries said laboratory analyses of samples taken from Navalny’s body “conclusively” identified epibatidine, a powerful neurotoxin found naturally in some South American amphibians and not known to occur in Russia.
“We are obviously aware of the report. It’s a troubling report,” Rubio said at a press conference in Bratislava. “We’re aware of the case of Mr. Navalny and certainly we don’t have any reason to question it.”
His remarks signaled U.S. alignment with the credibility of the European findings, even as Washington stopped short of formally endorsing the joint statement.
Rubio was also asked why the United States did not sign on to the declaration issued by the five European allies.
He explained that the investigation and public statement were led independently by those governments. “Those countries came to that conclusion. They coordinated that,” he said.
“We chose—doesn’t mean we disagree with the outcome—it just wasn’t our endeavour. Sometimes countries go out and do their thing based on the intelligence they’ve gathered.”
He emphasized that Washington is not seeking to undermine or contradict its partners. “We’re not disputing or getting into a fight with these countries over it,” Rubio added. “But it was their report, and they put that out there.”
Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics, died in February 2024 while being held in an Arctic penal colony, where he was serving lengthy sentences on extremism and other charges that he consistently denied. His death sparked international outrage and renewed scrutiny of Russia’s treatment of political opponents.
The Russian government has repeatedly denied any responsibility for Navalny’s death. Following the release of the European findings, Moscow dismissed the allegations as a fabrication, with Russia’s state news agency TASS quoting officials who described the report as a “Western propaganda hoax.”
The case has become a renewed point of tension between Russia and Western governments already divided over Ukraine, sanctions, and broader security issues.
While Rubio did not announce any immediate new U.S. measures in response to the report, his comments underscored Washington’s willingness to accept allied intelligence assessments and keep pressure on Moscow over human rights concerns.
As diplomatic fallout continues, Navalny’s death remains a potent symbol for critics of the Kremlin, reinforcing accusations that dissent in Russia is met not only with imprisonment, but with lethal force.
Source Reuters
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