Kremlin never made agreements with the head of Telegram Pavel Durov. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Reuters.
He emphasized that there had been no talks between the authorities in Moscow and Durov. Peskov explained the Telegram creator's visit to Russia by the fact that he can travel freely and is a Russian citizen. Peskov added that there are no concluded agreements between Pavel Durov and the Kremlin. According to him, Durov and Russian President Vladimir Putin have not met.
French authorities opened an investigation against Durov earlier this week on suspicion of complicity in running an online platform enabling illegal transactions, drug trafficking and fraud. Durov's lawyer called the accusations "absurd" and stated that he should not be held criminally liable for crimes committed on the platform.
Russia, after years of pressure on Durov and his technology ventures, rallied behind him, with Peskov saying the case against him should not turn into a political persecution.
In 2018, Russia tried to ban Telegram and demanded that the platform hand over data. However, Pavel Durov did not agree.
We remind you that Pavel Durov was arrested in France. Emmanuel Macron denied the arrest was political. After indictment, Durov was released on bail of 5 million euros.