Kremlin lambastes US for ‘meddling’
Plays down size of pro-Navalny protests
The Kremlin has accused the United States of interfering in Russia’s domestic affairs and downplayed the scale of the weekend’s protests, when tens of thousands rallied in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
More than 3,500 demonstrators were detained in protests across the country on Saturday, with several injured in clashes with police in Moscow, following Mr Navalny’s call to rally against President Vladimir Putin’s 20-year rule.
The West has widely condemned the “harsh tactics” used against demonstrators, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian saying the mass arrest of protesters was “an intolerable affront” and a “slide towards authoritarianism”.
Polish President Andrzej Duda has called for the European Union to step up sanctions against Russia over the treatment of Mr Navalny, the Financial Times reported.
“The only way [to avoid conflict] is to force international law to be observed. The only way to do this without rifles, cannons and bombs is via sanctions,” Mr Duda told the FT.
The Polish leader also said EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell should re-consider plans to visit Russia next month unless Mr Navalny is released.
EU foreign ministers were due to consider their response to Mr Navalny’s detention late yesterday, with Mr Borrell saying the “next steps” would be discussed.
Mr Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, accused the US embassy of interfering in Russia’s domestic affairs after the mission distributed a “demonstration alert” to US citizens in Russia recommending they avoid protests. “Of course, these publications are inappropriate,” Mr Peskov told a state TV channel. “And of course indirectly, they are absolutely an interference in our domestic affairs.”
A US mission spokeswoman said US embassies and consulates around the world routinely issued safety messages to US citizens. “This is a common, routine practice of many countries’ diplomatic missions,” she said.
The US embassy in Moscow said that Washington supported “the right of all people to peaceful protest, freedom of expression”.
Mr Peskov also accused protest organisers of seeking to “rock the boat” and said the number of people who had demonstrated paled in comparison to Mr Putin’s supporters. “A lot of people vote for Putin,” Mr Peskov said, pointing to last year’s constitutional plebiscite that allowed 68-year-old Putin to remain in power until 2036.
Mr Navalny, the president’s most prominent critic, was arrested on his return to Moscow last weekend following months of treatment in Germany for a near-fatal poisoning with a Sovietdesigned Novichok nerve agent.
He then called for Saturday’s unauthorised protests, which took on an unprecedented geographic scale, spanning more than 100 cities.
About 20,000 people protested in Moscow and more than 10,000 in Saint Petersburg, according to estimates from some journalists, and rallies were also held in numerous countries, including France and Lithuania.
Leonid Volkov, the head of Mr Navalny’s regional network, praised the turnout.
“I am certainly proud, very impressed and inspired,” Mr Volkov said. Mr Navalny’s team is hoping to stage another rally next weekend.
Many at the protests said they were angered by the findings of Mr Navalny’s investigation into an opulent Black Sea property allegedly owned by Mr Putin.
Mr Peskov said the mansion on the Black Sea was “private” property and had nothing to do with Mr Putin.