Kremlin Confirms No Deal With Telegram CEO Pavel Durov

JAKARTA - The Kremlin insists that it has never made any agreement with Telegram boss Pavel Durov. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was not aware of a meeting between the tech entrepreneur and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"There are no negotiations between Durov and the Kremlin," Peskov told reporters.

"And the fact that he visited Russia, yes, he is a Russian citizen, he moves freely, so it's only natural that he visits Russia," Peskov said.

French judges put Durov, who was born in Russia in a formal investigation into alleged involvement in running an online platform that allows illicit transactions, photos of child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, and fraud.

Durov's lawyer said on Thursday "it doesn't make sense" that his client should be responsible for any crimes committed in the app.