Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, the 17th of March, that Putin was “probably” involved in the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died last month, when asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin was responsible for Navalny’s death, reports Politico.
“I don’t know, but perhaps. I mean, it’s possible. I could say probably. I don’t know”, the US Republican presidential candidate said vaguely, adding that Navalny was a young man who, statistically, had a long way to live, “so something unusual happened”.
Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition figure, died in prison on the 16th of February. While the European Union and the United States directly accused Russia of Navalny’s death and were considering new sanctions, Trump, currently the frontrunner in the Republican primaries, has taken a softer stance on Putin.
Trump has also promised to suspend aid to Ukraine and to negotiate with Russia, causing concern among Western allies.
During the interview, Trump said he hoped he would not have to choose between Putin “swallowing” Ukraine and sending arms to Kyiv.
“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said, reiterating that the war “would never have happened” if he had been president.
Also read: VIDEO | Putin wins “elections” without serious competition
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Trump: Putin “probably” involved in Navalny’s death
