The Russian Foreign Ministry lodged a protest to the German Ambassador in connection with the situation with Navalny

On September 2, the German authorities announced that traces of a chemical warfare agent from the Novichok group had been found in the body of Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny, who is being treated in Germany.

"A strong protest was expressed to the German Ambassador in connection with the presentation by the Federal Government of the Federal Republic of Germany of unfounded accusations and ultimatums against Russia in the context of the illness and hospitalization of Russian citizen Alexei Navalny, as well as the obvious use by Berlin of the situation that had arisen with him as a reason to discredit our country on the international arena", - quotes the message of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Interfax agency. Earlier, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, noted that official Berlin was "bluffing" when talking about the poisoning of the Russian politician.

Recall that Alexei Navalny became ill on August 20 on board a plane flying from Tomsk to Moscow. The plane made an emergency landing at the Omsk airport, Alexei Navalny spent two days in a hospital in this city, then was taken to the Berlin clinic Charite. Only on September 7, Alexei Navalny came out of the coma, in which he had been since August 20. What kind of damage was done to his health is still unknown. Russian doctors who treated the politician in the early days still do not agree with the version of his poisoning.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Russian government to provide explanations on the situation with Alexei Navalny. In her opinion, the politician became a victim of a crime, and the poison from the Novichok group, which earlier in 2018, according to the British side, was poisoned in Great Britain by the former GRU colonel and British agent Sergei Skripal with his daughter, is precisely defined in his body.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov confirmed the readiness of the Russian side for comprehensive interaction with Germany on the situation with Alexei Navalny, however, noted that the German side did not provide answers to the previously sent official requests. Dmitry Peskov stressed that "before the patient was taken to Berlin, in accordance with all international standards, a whole complex of tests was carried out in our country, no toxic substances were identified".

The press secretary of the Russian president noted that the Kremlin is still waiting for information from Germany, which allowed German experts to draw a conclusion about the version of the poisoning. If such information is confirmed, an investigation in Russia will be necessary. The Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology in Munich, where the studies took place, said it could not transmit information about them for reasons of secrecy.

Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the situation around Alexei Navalny should not be associated with the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, but recently her position has been adjusted. "The Chancellor is of the opinion that nothing can be ruled out from the start," said German government spokesman Steffen Seibert.