'Targeted sanctions unavoidable': Germany warns Russia over Navalny poisoning

Germany warned Russia today that "targeted" and "proportionate sanctions" will be carried out against it"if necessary information is not provided" in the Navalny poisoning case.

"A serious violation of international law was perpetrated with a chemical warfare agent, and something like that cannot remain without consequences," German foreign minister Heiko Maas said.

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Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny was treated in a German hospital after he fell ill due to alleged poisoning. Navalny was admitted in a Siberian hospital and later evacuated to Germany in late August to Berlin's Charite hospital.

"It is clear that if the events are not cleared up, if the necessary information is not provided, then targeted and proportionate sanctions against those responsible on the Russian side will be unavoidable," the German foreign minister added.

Russia has firmly rejected allegations that its authorities were responsible for Navalny's poisoning.

Maas added that he would be coordinating the joint response with European Union partners including the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) to put its message in place.

The Kremlin had earlier said that Russia was not developing chemical weapons and was complying fully with the arms control treaty that outlaws its production.

OPCW had earlier declared that samples found on Alexei Navalny was in fact nerve agent from the banned Novichok family. OPCW had said that there was "no doubt" that Novichok nerve agent was used to poison Navalny.

Britain and the United States had earlier asked Russia to investigate Navalny's poisoning.