Rubio Says US Does Not Dispute European Findings On Navalny Poisoning

The United States is not challenging a bombshell European assessment that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed using a rare toxin but it is also not formally joining the accusation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that Washington has “no reason to question” a joint report from five European allies concluding that Navalny was poisoned with epibatidine, a toxin found in South American poison dart frogs.

“We obviously are aware of the report. It’s a troubling report,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Bratislava, Slovakia. “We’re aware of that case of Mr. Navalny and certainly… we don’t have any reason to question it.”

The statement came after Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands released a joint declaration asserting that laboratory analyses “conclusively” confirmed the presence of epibatidine in samples taken from Navalny’s body. The toxin does not occur naturally in Russia and is known for its extreme potency, even in minute quantities.

Navalny, one of the most prominent critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in February 2024 in an Arctic penal colony where he was serving a sentence on extremism and other charges all of which he denied. His death triggered global condemnation and renewed scrutiny of Moscow’s treatment of political dissidents.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any responsibility. Russia’s state news agency TASS dismissed the European findings as “a Western propaganda hoax.”

Rubio made clear that while the United States was not a signatory to the European statement, it was not disputing its conclusions.

“Those countries came to that conclusion. They coordinated that. We chose doesn’t mean we disagree with the outcome. We just, it wasn’t, our endeavor,” Rubio said. “Sometimes countries go out and do their thing based on the intelligence they’ve gathered.”

He added, “We’re not disputing or getting into a fight with these countries over it. But it was their report, and they put that out there.”

The case adds to a long history of alleged poisonings tied to Russian operatives. In 2018, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned in the United Kingdom with a nerve agent, leading to sweeping diplomatic expulsions. Western intelligence agencies have repeatedly accused Moscow of targeting dissidents abroad.

Epibatidine is far less commonly discussed than agents like Novichok, but scientists describe it as extraordinarily powerful. Even tiny amounts can disrupt the nervous system. Its reported identification in Navalny’s body, if accurate, would represent a sophisticated and deliberate method of assassination.

The geopolitical stakes are significant. According to Freedom House, Russia continues to rank near the bottom globally for political rights and civil liberties. Since Navalny’s imprisonment and death, human rights organizations have documented a surge in arrests and prosecutions of political opponents within Russia.

For the United States, balancing solidarity with European allies while avoiding unnecessary diplomatic escalation remains a delicate task. Rubio’s comments suggest Washington sees no daylight between itself and its allies on the substance even if it declined to formally attach its name to the report.

The broader message is unmistakable: Western governments are increasingly unified in holding Moscow accountable for the treatment of political dissidents.

Navalny’s death remains a powerful symbol of the risks faced by critics of the Kremlin. As investigations continue and diplomatic tensions simmer, his case will likely remain a flashpoint in relations between Russia and the West.

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