Putin's secret meeting with Abramovich over Navalny exchange revealed
On 16 February, Russian authorities announced the unexpected death of Navalny. He was the most well-known political opponent of President Vladimir Putin. The politician died in a camp located beyond the Arctic Circle, where he was serving a 19-year prison sentence.
Recent reports indicate that Putin met with the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich shortly before Navalny's death regarding his case. During the meeting, they were supposed to discuss the details of the planned prisoner exchange involving Navalny.
The talks took place about four hours before the first information from the prison authorities about the death of the oppositionist.
Putin was supposed to agree to the exchange
In return, Germany was supposed to release Vadim Krasikov, a former FSB agent who in 2019 murdered in Berlin at the orders of the services a former Chechen commander and citizen of Georgia, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili. The list of people participating in the exchange was supposed to include many more names - writes the Russian investigative portal.
Journalist Christo Grozev, familiar with the details of the failed agreement, was said to have heard from Vladimir Putin's surroundings that the Russian dictator agreed to the offer of the West.
On 1 March, a funeral service was held over the coffin of Alexei Navalny in Moscow. Russian police did not allow thousands of people inside to bid farewell to the deceased oppositionist. Crowds gathered outside began to chant Navalny's name and slogans such as "We are not afraid" and "Russia will be free." The coffin carrying Navalny's body, which was transported to the cemetery, was showered with flowers.
