Putin’s attempt to explain away the poisoning of Alexei Navalny to France failed badly and helped unite Europe against him, intelligence sources say

• Vladimir Putin last week called France’s Emmanuel Macron in the hope of explaining the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, French media reported.
• According to Insider sources briefed on the call, it was a disaster.
• Putin is said to have claimed to Macron that Navalny may have poisoned himself to make Russia look bad.
• Macron is said to have considered the claim insultingly implausible; so much so that it could materially harm European-Russian relations.
• Two sources told Insider that Macron is now far more willing to imperil the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project linking Russia with Europe.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

An attempt by Vladimir Putin to explain how Alexei Navalny was poisoned in Russia in a call with France went down so badly that it seriously set back his relations with Europe, intelligence sources have told Insider.

According to French media, Putin spoke with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, last week about Navalny, who was poisoned with the novichok nerve agent in late August, and was evacuated to Europe for treatment.

During the call, Putin is said to have suggested to Macron that Navalny may have poisoned himself in an elaborate attempt to discredit Russia.

Intelligence sources have characterized the explanation as so inept and insulting that it severely set back the already-strained relations between Russian and the nations of Europe.

A French security official, who asked for anonymity as he does not have permission to speak on the record, said that the exchange outraged Macron, who is usually wary of directly confronting Russia.

"There is cynicism from European leaders on Putin when it comes to these events," said the official.

"But Macron has a huge ego and considers himself someone that you cannot bulls--t. He expected to be told that it was some internal issue, potentially some illegal operation by an underling that is being investigated, perhaps suggesting the possibility some Chechens [did it] without his knowledge or approval."

The source describes past conversations as "unsatisfactory but just plausible enough to make it more difficult to confront him."

"Macron got on the call expecting this typical behavior and instead he's fed total nonsense about Navalny giving himself a deadly agent only found in the most secure Russian military stockpiles.

"We understand that silly, confusing and often contradictory messages like these are how Putin handles things domestically — but to the president of France?"

"He's furious," said the French official. "He will make his own decisions on how to handle this but the consequences he is threatening could become much stronger support for [Angela] Merkel taking action on Nord Stream if that's how the German's decide to proceed."

"Macron's view is you cannot lie to the president of France as if he is some Russian peasant."

The source referred to Nord Stream 2, an undersea gas pipeline which aims to link Russia with Germany. Political tensions between Russia and the West have repeatedly threatened to derail it.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, has come under intense pressure to use Nord Stream 2 as leverage to extract answers from Russia.

German security officials refused to comment on the situation when asked by Insider.

But a central European counter-intelligence official who works closely with Germany on Russian issues said that he believes Europe may see no alternative but to act.

The source also spoke anonymously as he is not authorized to do so publicly.

The official said: "Macron and Merkel have plenty to occupy themselves with politically right now and both find themselves angry that they've been put in this position by Putin and even angrier that he is handling it with such disdain for them."

"Blaming Germany and Navalny for removing evidence infuriated Merkel and suggesting Navalny did it himself probably gave Macron an aneurysm."

"But my sense from talking with German colleagues is that the US election matters figures into everyone's calculations quite strongly."

"A strong, united coalition of Germany, France and other EU members can confront Putin, but it's all much stronger and more effective if the President of the United States is a committed participant," said the source.

"There's currently little confidence in the US as a partner in such an effort but that could change after the election."