Reports: US Believes Putin Didn't Directly Order Navalny's Death

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Facts

• A report in the Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous officials, says US intelligence agencies believe Russian leader Vladimir Putin likely didn't order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February.¹
• In a similar report by the Associated Press, an official speaking on the condition of anonymity said the US believes Putin was ultimately responsible for Navalny's death, but there was 'no smoking gun' proving Putin's direct involvement in the political organizer's death.²
• Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov questioned the quality of the reports and said they're not deserving of 'any attention' because they're based on 'very empty reasoning.'³
• Navalny, who was widely considered Putin's most prominent critic, in February collapsed and died at the 'Polar Wolf' Arctic penal colony, where he was serving a three-decade sentence. Navalny's supporters, US Pres. Joe Biden, and other world leaders publicly blamed Putin for Navalny's death.⁴
• The reports about Putin's role in Navalny's death come as Russia arrested two journalists — Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin — under charges of working for Navalny's opposition group. Russia has arrested several journalists under similar pretenses since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.⁵

Sources: ¹WSJ.com, ²Associated Press, ³Huffington Post, ⁴Reuters.com and ⁵Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Jerusalem Post. These reports are absurd and one has to wonder why the US would want to absolve a brutal leader like Putin from such a heinous crime. Considering the acrimony between Putin and Navalny — not to mention Navalny's high profile — there's little doubt Putin had his prisoner's fate in his hands and decided to end Navalny's life to send a message to the global community.
• Narrative B, as provided by FOX News. No one is absolving Putin for Navalny's death, as these reports emphasize that Navalny was placed in harsh conditions that eventually were going to kill him. But unlike the Kremlin's 2020 poisoning of Navalny — which the US determined was indeed an assassination attempt — the intelligence community holds the opinion that Putin didn't order Navalny's prison death. Sanctions and other US rhetoric prove the US isn't letting Putin off the hook.

Predictions