Moscow has expanded the list of European officials barred from entering Russia in response to the European Union’s sanctions over the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The move comes a day after Mr Navalny, a long-time opponent to President Vladimir Putin, released a recording of a phone call he said he made to an alleged state security operative, who was identified by media as a member of a team that has reportedly trailed the politician for years.
In the recording, the man indicated his involvement in covering up the supposed poisoning and revealed details of the alleged operation.
Meeting with Dmitry Ashchepkov
Vladimir Putin met
with Dmitry Ashchepkov, a nine-year-old participant of the New Year Tree of Wishes
national campaign of the Dream with Me charity project, and his family from the Chelyabinsk Region.
December 21, 2020
Red Square, Moscow
Dmitry came to Moscow
together with his parents, 14-year-old brother Denis and 8-year-old sister Sofia.
They already visited VDNKh, the planetarium, the zoo, Patriot Park and the Kremlin.
Dmitry met with Vladimir
Putin at the GUM skating rink. The President
asked the boy about his impressions of the city. Then Olympic Champion and Vice-President
for Development of the Continental Hockey League Valery Kamensky went out on the ice. They had an ice-hockey practice together and posed for a photo.