The Kremlin has officially denied reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, during his recent visit to Baku.
This development comes as speculation intensifies following Durov's arrest in Paris over the weekend.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed the rumors in a press briefing on Monday, stating that no meeting between Putin and Durov took place during the president's stay in Azerbaijan's capital from August 17 to 19.
Durov's Arrest in Paris
The 39-year-old social media founder was arrested on Saturday evening after arriving at Le Bourget Airport in Paris from Baku.
The reasons for his detention remain undisclosed, and the French authorities have yet to provide an official statement. The Paris Prosecutor’s Office is expected to release more details later on Monday.
Durov, who has been residing in Dubai since 2017, was reportedly in Baku at the same time as Putin.
According to the Telegram news channel Baza, a meeting between the two was proposed but ultimately declined by Putin. The reasons behind both the meeting request and Putin's refusal remain unknown.
Telegram was founded by Durov in 2013. It has now grown into one of the world's leading messaging apps, boasting close to 1 billion users. The platform is especially popular in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet states.
