Joe Biden claimed on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and “his thugs” were responsible for the death of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, which “scandalized” him.
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“Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death. Putin is responsible,” the American president said during a speech at the White House. “What happened to Navalny is further proof of his brutality.”
“We don’t know exactly what happened,” Joe Biden added. “But there is no doubt that this is the result of something that Putin and his henchmen did.”
The US president, who called the Russian adversary “a powerful voice for truth, even in prison,” said he was “exploring options” for a response to that death, without giving further details.
In 2021, after meeting with the Russian president in Switzerland, Mr Biden was asked about the consequences of Navalny's death and replied: “I made it clear that the consequences for Russia would be catastrophic.”
“God bless Alexei Navalny, his courage will not be forgotten,” said Joe Biden.
According to Russian authorities, the 47-year-old Kremlin opponent No. 1 died on Friday in his prison in the Arctic.
Westerners blamed Russia for the death and Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaïa, called on the international community to recognize that the Russian leader was “personally responsible” for his death.
Presidential elections will take place in Russia in a month. It must allow Vladimir Putin to remain in power.