Merkel, Putin spar over Navalny but vow to maintain dialogue

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reaffirmed their sharply different views of Moscow’s treatment of imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Merkel traveled to Moscow on Friday, which was the anniversary of Navalny’s poisoning with what European officials later identified as a Soviet-developed nerve agent. Navalny spent months recuperating in Germany and after his return to Russia received a 2 1/2-year prison sentence. Merkel reiterated a call for the opposition leader’s freedom. Putin argued that Navalny’s sentencing was unconnected to his political activities. The Russian leader also asserted that the Taliban’s rapid sweep of Afghanistan showed the futility of attempts to enforce Western visions of democracy.