Moscow (CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Thursday that opposition politician Alexey Navalny "is enjoying the support of the US special services," adding that if Russian special services had wanted to kill him they would have "finished it." If [they] wanted to, they would've probably finished it," Putin added. Putin described reports about Navalny -- to whom he did not at any point refer by name -- as "implanted stories." "This is how the special services work there. Putin then accused the US intelligence services of interfering in Russia's domestic affairs by "planting" stories about the financial activities of his family and allies, without offering any evidence.

Source: CNN December 17, 2020 12:03 UTC