Truth is the most ‘dangerous weapon’ against Russia, UK says as it hits back at denial over Navalny’s death

Labour foreign secretary Yvette Cooper suggested Moscow could face new sanctions, while his widow has called for Vladimir Putin to be held accountable

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Yvette Cooper has said truth is the most “dangerous weapon” against Russia as she hit back at Moscow’s denials that it was involved in the death of Putin’s arch-rival Alexei Navalny.

Britain and its European allies said on Saturday that the opposition leader had died after being poisoned with a lethal toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America.

After the findings were announced by Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya, the foreign secretary pinned the blame squarely on the Kremlin and said only Russia had the “means, motive and opportunity” to carry out such an attack.

The Russian embassy in London hit back and described the announcement as the "feeble-mindedness of Western fabulists" as it denied responsibility.

But, doubling down on the claims on Sunday, Ms Cooper quoted Navalny as she said truth was the most “dangerous weapon” against Russia.

She also warned new sanctions against Moscow could follow from Britain and its allies as she said the Cold War peace dividend “has gone”.

Speaking to the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Cooper said accusation was "deeply serious".

She added: "The statement that we made yesterday shows that we have the evidence."

Analysis of samples from Navalny's body revealed the presence of a toxin called Epibatidine.

The UK and its allies say there is no innocent explanation for its presence, that it is not found in Russia and generally produced by the frogs only in the wild.

The five European nations who called out Russia have already reported the Kremlin to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

But Ms Cooper suggested further sanctions could follow: "We continue to look at co-ordinated action, including increasing sanctions on the Russian regime.

"As you know, we have been pursuing this as part of our response to the brutal invasion of Ukraine, where we are also coming up to the fourth anniversary of that invasion as well.

"We believe that it is the partnerships that we build abroad that make us stronger at home. It is by acting alongside our European allies, alongside allies across the world, that we do maintain that pressure on the Russian regime."

She added: "The other thing that I would say specifically about Alexei Navalny is one of the things he said was 'tell the truth, spread the truth', because that is the most dangerous weapon of all.

"That was his comment about the Russian regime. He is no longer able to do that, but that is why we are continuing to do that for him, and for his widow as well."

A statement from the Russian embassy in London has denied all involvement in Mr Navalny's death.

It said: "There is no reason whatsoever to credit such 'findings' by Western 'experts'. As with the Skripal case, there are strident accusations, media hysteria, zero evidence, and a host of questions the accusers would rather ignore. So what was it in the end - poison derived from the skin of a South American frog or Novichok?"

The statement added: "We have become accustomed to the feeble-mindedness of Western fabulists. One must ask what kind of person would believe this nonsense about a frog.

"Yet what truly shocks is the method now favoured by Western politicians - necro-propaganda. This is not a quest for justice but a mockery of the dead.

"Even after the death of the Russian citizen, London and the European capitals cannot allow him to rest in peace - a fact that speaks volumes about those who instigated this campaign."

Meanwhile, Reform UK's head of policy Zia Yusuf hit back at Keir Starmer, saying it was "obviously not true" that Nigel Farage is "soft on Russia", and a bit "pro-Putin".

On Saturday the PM described Reform as "pro-Putin". Mr Yusuf said: "That's obviously not true.

"I mean, Nigel is the only political leader in this country who has confirmed on air that he would indeed shoot down Russian aircraft if they encroach into Nato airspace.

"Not a single other political leader said that, nor has Keir Starmer."

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