Navalny passed away on February 16, and both the EU and the US directly blamed Russia for his death, potentially leading to new sanctions against the Kremlin.

However, several US agencies, including the CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the US State Department's intelligence unit, believe that Putin did not order Navalny's death at that moment, based on information from people familiar with the matter.

The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely approved the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but some European security officials remain skeptical.

The U.S. assessment is based on classified intelligence and public facts, including the timing of Navalny's death which overshadowed Putin's re-election.

Navalny's ally Leonid Volkov believes it's unlikely Putin wasn't informed or approved of the killing.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied any involvement in the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Last month, Putin confirmed reports that he had agreed to a prisoner exchange for Navalny with Western officials just before Navalny fell ill and was later transported to Germany for treatment.

Navalny's allies had previously claimed that such negotiations had taken place.

However, Putin's confirmation did not clarify whether the exchange had actually occurred before or after Navalny's poisoning.

Putin has not provided evidence to support his denial of involvement in Navalny's death.