Putin condemns ‘unsubstantiated’ Navalny claims in call with Macron

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) French President Emmanuel Macron. AP AND AFP FILE PHOTOS

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday condemned “unsubstantiated” accusations over opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s poisoning with a nerve agent during a call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

Putin stressed it was inappropriate to make “unsubstantiated accusations based on nothing against the Russian side,” according to a Kremlin readout of the call after French and Swedish laboratories earlier confirmed German findings that Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent.