Five European nations announced on Saturday that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by the Kremlin with a rare and lethal toxin found in the skin of poison dart frogs. The governments of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands released a joint statement confirming the presence of epibatidine in Navalny's body, and that the Russian government was the likely culprit.
The announcement followed an analysis of samples taken from Navalny's body, which conclusively confirmed the presence of the toxin. Epibatidine is naturally found in South American dart frogs, but not in Russia. "There is no innocent explanation for its presence in Navalny's body," the statement said, according to Time. Navalny died in a remote Siberian prison two years prior to the announcement.
The news comes as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a key foreign policy speech to European leaders on Saturday, emphasizing the importance of U.S.-European relations. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Rubio stated that the U.S. and Europe "belong together," a message viewed as an olive branch after previous strained relations, according to Time. Rubio added that the two world wars of the 20th century served as a reminder that the destinies of the U.S. and Europe are intertwined.
The poisoning of Navalny has drawn international condemnation. According to NPR News, the foreign ministries of the involved European countries have not yet released details on their next steps.
In other news, Presidents Day, a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of February, honors the birthday and legacy of the first U.S. President, George Washington. Lindsay Chervinsky, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, told Time that the holiday is a good opportunity to reflect on the origins of the presidential office.
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