No Alleged Deal Between Kremlin and Telegram, Says Peskov

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any deals between President Vladimir Putin and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. This announcement follows a formal probe by a French judge into Durov's potential complicity in crimes committed on the Telegram platform.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has clarified that there have been no agreements between President Vladimir Putin and Telegram's chief executive, Pavel Durov. Speaking at a briefing, Peskov stated that, to the best of his knowledge, Putin has never met Durov.

This statement comes in the wake of a French judge initiating a formal investigation into Durov on Wednesday. The judge is examining allegations of complicity in enabling illicit transactions, the distribution of child sex abuse materials, drug trafficking, and fraud on the Telegram platform.

Durov's lawyer responded on Thursday, calling it "absurd" to hold the Russian-born tech entrepreneur accountable for any criminal activities conducted by users on the messaging app.

(With inputs from agencies.)