17 February 2024, 11:59 AM IST
Biden also recalled that Navalny had a strong voice
Joe Biden | Photo: AP
Washington: The US says that it is not surprised by the news of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but rather outraged. President Joe Biden. Biden said that Alexei Navalny had bravely opposed all kinds of injustice, including corruption and violence, perpetuated by the Putin administration, and that Vladimir Putin was responsible for Alexei’s death.
Navalny, 47, was Putin’s biggest critic. After the meeting with Putin in Geneva in June 2021, Biden responded that if Navalny’s life is in danger, he will have to pay a heavy price instead. Putin also referred to his conversation with Navalny in his address following Navalny’s death. Biden also recalled that Navalny had a strong voice.
Navalny, who was imprisoned in a penal colony located in the northern Arctic region, was found dead on Friday. The White House has sought more information about Alexei’s death. It has only been two months since Navalny was transferred to a penal colony after being sentenced to 30 years on charges including fraud.
International assessment is that Navalny’s death may cause a further rupture in US-Russian diplomatic relations. Relations between the two countries have worsened after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. U.S. to approve funding for arms shipments to Ukraine Biden is also asking Republican members of Congress.
House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has yet to introduce a bill for financial aid to Ukraine in the Senate. But since Navalny’s death, Mike Johnson has announced that all means will be used to undermine Putin’s influence, given the war against Ukraine and the invasion of the Baltic states.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visited Navalny’s wife, Yulia, and shared her grief and anger over Navalny’s death, White House sources said.
Content Highlights: Putin responsible for Alexei Navalny’s death says Joe Biden