Putin's suppression to blame for Nemtsov's death - NATO official

A man holds a poster of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, during a march to commemorate him in central Moscow March 1, 2015. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

RIGA (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin is seeking to turn Ukraine into a failed state while silencing dissent at home, a top NATO official said on Thursday, suggesting the Russian President was ultimately responsible for the murder of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov.

"President Putin's aim seems to be to turn Ukraine into a failed state and to suppress and discredit alternative voices in Russia," NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said.