US intelligence believes Putin probably didn’t order Navalny’s killing, but doesn’t absolve him of responsibility – report

US intelligence agencies have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably didn’t order opposition politician Alexei Navalny killed at an Arctic prison camp in February, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Navalny, 47 when he died, was Putin’s fiercest domestic critic. His allies, branded extremists by the authorities, accused Putin of having him murdered and have said they will provide proof to back their allegation.

The Kremlin has denied any state involvement. Last month, Putin called Navalny’s demise “sad” and said he had been ready to hand the jailed politician over to the West in a prisoner exchange provided Navalny never return to Russia. Navalny’s allies said such talks had been underway.

The Journal, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, says that US intelligence agencies concluded that Putin probably didn’t order Navalny to be killed in February.

It says Washington has not absolved the Russian leader of overall responsibility for Navalny’s death, however, given the opposition politician had been targeted by Russian authorities for years, jailed on charges the West said were politically motivated, and had been poisoned in 2020 with a nerve agent.

The Kremlin denies state involvement in the 2020 poisoning.