Kremlin tells Lithuania after attack on Navalny aide: Don't be afraid of Putin

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said: "I can only say one thing to Putin - nobody is afraid of you here." Asked about the comments on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov agreed that there was no need to fear Putin.

The Kremlin on Thursday declined to comment on a hammer attack on an aide to the late Alexei Navalny in Lithuania, but said people should respect and listen to Russian President Vladimir Putin rather than be afraid of him.

Lithuania blamed Moscow

on Wednesday for an overnight attack by a hammer-wielding assailant on Leonid Volkov outside the aide's home in the capital Vilnius where various exiled Russian opposition figures live. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said: "I can only say one thing to Putin - nobody is afraid of you here."

Asked about the comments on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov agreed that there was no need to fear Putin. "Putin should not be feared, Putin should be respected and listened to," said Peskov.

The Kremlin could not comment on the attack itself since it happened in a different country, he added, advising reporters to seek further information from the authorities in Lithuania.

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