Countries including the UK, Sweden, France, Germany, and the Netherlands have released a joint statement declaring their conviction that Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition politician who died while serving a lengthy prison sentence, was poisoned with a lethal toxin. British authorities, who facilitated the statement, indicated that the poison is believed to have originated from South American poison frogs. They express firm belief in the culpability of the Russian state in this matter, citing their access to chemical weapons and clear motives for carrying out such an act.

The statement comes in response to the official Russian position, which claimed that Navalny's death was due to natural causes. The five countries collectively emphasize that Russia had the "means, motive, and opportunity" to execute the poisoning, underscoring a growing international concern regarding Russia's use of chemical agents against political opponents. They further stress their collective responsibility to hold Russia accountable through available political measures, signaling a significant diplomatic response to repeated allegations against the Kremlin.

Additionally, the joint statement reflects concerns among Western nations about the potential continued possession of chemical weapons by Russia, further straining already tense relations between Russia and the West. The assertion that Russia may still hold these capabilities raises alarms about regional security and the implications for future political dissent within Russia, suggesting that the international community may need to bolster its positions against such malignant actions.