Supporters of Alexei Navalny say Putin had the Russian opposition leader killed to prevent him from being exchanged for two American citizens and Vadim Krasikov, an FSB assassin serving a life sentence in Germany for the killing of a Chechen separatist in Berlin served.
• Also read: Alexei Navalny should be replaced before his death
Navalny's widow promised that his team would soon tell the world “why exactly Putin killed Alexei.” I can't wait to find out. Things seem strange to me at the moment. Putin could have him killed without this involving a prisoner exchange.
We know there were “discussions” about an exchange with Navalny, but at what level and with whom? Would Putin have agreed to let Navalny leave Russia? I doubt. Also, did Putin know about it?
Who negotiates what with whom?
What is certain is that negotiations were ongoing about a possible prisoner exchange between Russia and the West. The German newspapers Bild and Zeit reported that Berlin had discussed swapping Navalny for Krasikov. The federal government, for its part, declined to comment on Monday.
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who some believed was involved in the negotiations, also declined to say whether he had offered to act as a mediator.
- Listen to the Lester Durocher meeting with blogger Normand Lester from the Journal de Montréal QUB :
Putin was open to exchanging American journalist Evan Gershkovich, imprisoned in Russia, for Krasikov. Moscow had also offered to exchange him for Paul Whelan, an American of Canadian origin who was sentenced to 16 years in prison for espionage. We never talked about Navalny.
Navalny: Natural death or not
The head of Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, just caused quite a surprise when he declared that Navalny died of a “blood clot,” according to the Kyiv Post newspaper. “Unfortunately for natural reasons,” he added. The Russians also attributed his death to “natural causes” after he lost consciousness during a walk.
More than a week after his death in one of Russia's harshest prisons, his body was finally returned to his mother. He served a 19-year prison sentence because of his oppositional activities.
For a week, Russian authorities refused to hand over his body to his mother. The Kremlin is now trying to prevent a public funeral, fearing it could spark a popular movement in support of Navalny and opposition to Putin.
Putin, who has never publicly mentioned Navalny's name, has not commented on the death of his harshest critic, who previously survived an assassination attempt by poisoning.
- Listen to the Lester Durocher meeting with blogger Normand Lester from the Journal de Montréal QUB :
Exciting Putin's paranoia
It is very likely that he was murdered on Putin's orders, which would explain the authorities' initial refusal to return his body to his mother, even refusing to allow her to see him for several days. Time to hide the crime. She accused them of wanting to “cover their tracks.”
The other plausible explanation is that Putin's enemies in Russia and abroad want to stoke his paranoia by creating secret discussions about an exchange with Navalny. Let him think that members of Russia's political-military leadership began negotiations on this issue behind his back.
Enough to sow discord in the Kremlin and cause “windows to collapse” of people suspected of being involved in the conspiracy.