MOSCOW, September 7. /TASS/. The Kremlin is not aware of any contacts of associates of Carles Puigdemont, former head of the Spanish region of Catalonia, with Russians and rebuts any claims that Moscow was involved in the situation that unfolded in this region recently, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday to comment on articles claiming that a Puigdemont representative allegedly contacted Russian nationals.

"We know nothing about these contacts. We don’t know how credible these articles can be either," he said. Peskov emphasized that these articles claim that the Russian side can be somehow involved in the Catalonia developments. "We categorically rebut this. These claims are nothing but lies or insinuations," the spokesman stressed.

Puigdemont headed the Catalonian government when the region held an unauthorized independence referendum in 2017. He fled to Belgium soon after. Following the 2019 European Parliament elections, the politician secured an MEP seat, while Spanish authorities requested the European Parliament to suspend his MEP immunity. Puigdemont is wanted in Spain on charges of incitement of insurrection and misuse of funds.