Germany confirms Navalny poisoned by nerve agent

The poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain in 2018 set off a diplomatic crisis. On Wednesday, German officials said the same Soviet-era chemical weapon was used on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who remains in serious condition in a Berlin hospital. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the Russian government to explain the incident: “He was meant to be silenced, and I condemn this in the strongest possible manner.”

Was the Kremlin involved? Russian officials have not provided much information since the poisoning took place two weeks ago. Navalny fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday reiterated claims that Russian doctors found no chemicals in Navalny before his transfer to Germany. But British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, U.S. officials, and other international leaders are pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin to investigate—or take responsibility for—the attack on one of his most vocal opponents.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report in Globe Trot on twin crises in Belarus and Russia.