Bundesaußenminister Johann Wadephul (CDU) responded sharply to the evidence presented by several European states that Russian opposition politician and Putin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned in a Russian penal colony two years ago.
Speaking to the broadcaster „Welt” at the Munich Security Conference, Wadephul said: “The Russian regime once again shows its dreadful visage. We now have a high scientific probability that this was indeed a poisoning. It is a terrible revelation. It demonstrates that Putin disregards both humanitarian concerns and legal issues such as the chemical‑weapon ban”.
He continued: “This shows he is not only willing to wage a war in Ukraine that violates international law – attacking the civilian population there – but also that he not only unlawfully incarcerates his fiercest adversary but murders him. There must be consequences”.
Wadephul urged that the organization responsible for overseeing the chemical‑weapon prohibition address the issue. “That means we must defend our rule‑based order and use all available means”.