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Dialuna 7 September 2020

Germany raises pressure on Russia in Navalny poisoning probe

(AP) — Germany on Sun- "It's a serious situation. It's later Sunday, saying Germa-
day increased the pressure serious firstly because it's ny had long agreed to Rus-
on Russia over the poison- the poisoning of another op- sia's request and had told the
ing of Russian opposition position figure. And it's seri- country's ambassador to Ber-
politician Alexei Navalny, ous because the substance lin so last week.
warning that a lack of sup- that was used, Novichok, is "There is no reason why we
port by Moscow in the in- banned," said French For- shouldn't agree to this re-
vestigation could "force" eign Minister Jean-Yves Le quest and therefore this is an-
Germany to rethink the Drian, speaking on France other one of their smoke gre-
fate of a German-Russian Inter radio. "(The Russians) nades — we have seen several
gas pipeline project. must now tell us the truth so of those during the last days
that we can act accordingly and I'm afraid there will be
"I hope the Russians won't ... When we say quickly, it's more in coming days," Maas
force us to change our po- quickly, that's to say a week, told ARD public Television.
sition regarding the Nord (in the construction), about mir Putin's fiercest critics and now. It's a traumatizing event Merkel personally offered
Stream 2" pipeline being half of them from Germany." called for a full investigation. for everyone," he said. the country's assistance in
built under the Baltic Sea, The German government has German authorities say tests Putin's spokesman has treating Navalny. He's now
German Foreign Minister come under growing pres- showed that he had been brushed off allegations that in stable condition at Berlin's
Heiko Maas told the Bild am sure to use the joint German- poisoned with a chemical the Kremlin was involved Charite hospital, but doctors
Sonntag newspaper. Russian pipeline project as nerve agent from the Novi- in poisoning Navalny and expect a long recovery and
Maas also said "if there won't leverage in getting Russia to chok group. British authori- said last week that Germany haven't ruled out that the
be an contributions from the provide answers on Navalny. ties previously identified hadn't provided Moscow 44-year-old could face long-
Russian side regarding the The Nord Stream 2 project the nerve agent, developed with any evidence about the term effects to his health
investigation in the coming would deliver Russian gas di- during the Soviet era, as the politician's condition. from the poisoning.
days, we will have to consult rectly to Germany under the poison used to target former Russian Foreign Ministry Merkel has previously reject-
with our partners." Baltic Sea when completed, Russian spy Sergei Skripal spokeswoman Maria Zakha- ed the idea that the Navalny
He did not exclude possible bypassing Ukraine. and his daughter in England rova reiterated Moscow's case be linked to the Nord
sanctions against Russia, tell- Navalny, a Kremlin critic and in 2018. claim Sunday that Germany Stream 2 gas pipeline.
ing the newspaper that such corruption investigator, fell "We have high expectations hadn't provided any evidence The U.S. has long opposed
measures should be "pin- ill on a flight to Moscow on from the Russians to bring since Russia requested it in the project, which has been
pointed effectively." How- Aug. 20 and was taken to a light into this severe crime," late August. increasingly a source of fric-
ever, Maas also admitted that hospital in the Siberian city Maas said. "If they have noth- "Dear Mr. Maas, if the gov- tion between Berlin and
halting the building of the of Omsk. He has been in ing to do with this attack, ernment of the Federal Re- Washington. In August, three
nearly completed gas pipe- an induced coma in a Berlin then it's in their own interest public of Germany is sin- Republican senators threat-
line would harm German hospital since he was flown to put the facts on the table." cere in its statements, then ened sanctions against an
and European companies as to Germany for treatment on France also added pressure it should itself be interested operator of a Baltic Sea port
well as Russia. Aug. 22. on Sunday, suggesting the in preparing a response to located in Merkel's parlia-
"Whoever demands this has German Chancellor Angela possibility of sanctions if the request of the Prosecutor mentary constituency over its
to be aware of the conse- Merkel has called Navalny's Moscow fails to quickly re- General's Office of Russia as part in Nord Stream 2. The
quences," he said. "More than poisoning an attempted mur- spond to European demands soon as possible," Zakharova Mukran port is a key staging
100 companies from 12 Eu- der that aimed to silence one for answers about Navalny's wrote in a Facebook posting. post for ships involved in its
ropean countries are involved of Russian President Vladi- poisoning. Maas rejected that accusation construction. q

Johnson says UK will quit Brexit talks if no deal by Oct 15

(AP) — British Prime market and customs union. vironmental or workplace last year. "If we can't agree by then,
Minister Boris Johnson Without a deal, the New Year standards or pump public British Brexit supporters then I do not see that there
talked tough on Sunday will bring tariffs and other money into U.K. industries. hate the agreement because will be a free trade agreement
ahead of a crucial round economic barriers between Britain accuses the bloc of it means keeping Northern between us, and we should
of post-Brexit trade talks the U.K. and the bloc, its big- making demands that it has Ireland aligned to some EU both accept that and move
with the European Union, gest trading partner. Johnson not imposed on other coun- rules and regulations. But on," he said in the comments,
saying Britain could walk said the country would "pros- tries it has free trade deals any move to undermine it which were released in ad-
away from the talks with- per mightily" even if Britain with, such as Canada. would infuriate the EU and vance by his office.
in weeks and insisting that had "a trading arrangement Frost told the Mail on Sunday threaten the trade talks. Without a deal, British freight
a no-deal exit would be with the EU like Australia's" newspaper that Britain was "This would be a very unwise firms have warned there
a "good outcome for the — the U.K. government's "not going to compromise on way to proceed," tweeted could be logjams at ports and
U.K." With talks dead- preferred description of a no- the fundamentals of having Irish Foreign Minister Simon supplies of key goods in Brit-
locked, Johnson said an deal Brexit. control over our own laws." Coveney. ain could be "severely dis-
agreement would only be British chief negotiator Da- "We are not going to accept The British government said rupted" starting Jan. 1.
possible if EU negotiators vid Frost and his EU coun- level playing field provisions it was working "in good faith" French Foreign Minister
are prepared to "rethink terpart Michel Barnier are that lock us in to the way the to implement the agreed Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sun-
their current positions." due to meet in London start- EU do things," he said. border provisions but was day that talks were "not going
ing Tuesday for their eighth In another sign of poten- "considering fallback op- well" and dismissed British
The EU, in turn, accuses round of negotiations. tial trouble ahead, the Fi- tions in the event this is not attempts to drive a wedge
Britain of failing to negotiate Barnier said last week he was nancial Times reported that achieved." between EU nations on is-
seriously. "worried and disappointed" Johnson's government was The EU says a deal has to be sues such as fishing. Le Drian
Britain left the now 27-na- by the lack of progress and planning domestic legisla- struck before November to said the 27 nations remained
tion EU on Jan. 31, three- said the U.K. had not "en- tion that would water down allow time for parliamentary united.
and-a-half years after the gaged constructively." commitments to maintain- approval and legal vetting "We would prefer a deal, but a
country narrowly voted to The key sticking points are ing an open border between before the transition period deal on the basis of our man-
end more than four decades European boats' access to the U.K.'s Northern Ireland expires. date," he told France Inter
of membership. That politi- U.K. fishing waters and state and EU member Ireland that Johnson gave an even shorter radio.
cal departure will be followed aid to industries. it has already signed up to. deadline in remarks he's due "There is room for action, but
by an economic break when The EU is determined to en- The border guarantee was a to deliver on Monday, say- the whole package, including
an 11-month transition pe- sure a "level playing field" for key part of the legally bind- ing an agreement needed to the fishing package, needs to
riod ends on Dec. 31 and the competition so British firms ing divorce agreement made be sealed by an EU summit be taken up in order to avoid
U.K. leaves the EU's single can't undercut the bloc's en- between Britain and the bloc scheduled for Oct. 15. a 'no deal.'"q