Joe Biden: Putin is responsible for Navalny's death

US President Joe Biden said at a press conference that he was shocked by the death of Alexei Navalny but not surprised. He emphasized that Vladimir Putin was responsible for the death of the Russian oppositionist.

Joe Biden said that it is not yet certain whether the Russian dissident was killed, but according to him, there is no doubt that Navalny's death is a consequence of the actions of "Putin and his thugs".

"Navalny could have lived safely in exile, but he decided to return to the country," recalled the US president.

He also informed that the White House was considering what further steps could be taken against Moscow.

Death of Alexei Navalny

Russian prison services announced the death of Alexei Navalny on Friday. According to the information provided, the 47-year-old oppositionist died suddenly in a penal colony above the Arctic Circle in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District in the Far North.

Navalny allegedly "felt bad" and "lost consciousness." Despite calling an ambulance and resuscitation attempts, the oppositionist died - the prison services reported.

In January 2024, three years have passed since Navalny was arrested and imprisoned after returning to Russia from Germany, where he was undergoing treatment after a poisoning attempt, most likely carried out by the Russian secret services. The authorities initiated further criminal cases against him, resulting in sentences totaling over 30 years of imprisonment.

Andrzej Duda commented on Navalny's death. "Putinism will finally pass"

The President of Poland commented on the death of Alexei Navalny. "Putinism will finally pass, and Navalny's legacy will prevail," Andrzej Duda wrote in English. According to information provided by the Russian Department of Prisons, the oppositionist and Putin's greatest enemy died in a labor camp. However, Navalny's family disputes this information, claiming that the government is not a reliable source.

"Alexei Navalny is another victim of the Kremlin regime. But this brutality is a sign of weakness. Putinism will eventually pass, and Navalny's legacy will prevail," the Polish president wrote on the X platform. "I express my condolences to the family," he added.

Duda spoke out after Navalny's death

On Friday around noon, the Russian prison department announced that an oppositionist considered the most important enemy of the Russian president had died suddenly in a penal colony. Despite calling an ambulance and resuscitating him, Navalny was supposed to die.

Although condolences are pouring in from all over the world for Navalny's loved ones, many people doubt the veracity of this information. One of them is the oppositionist's wife, Yulia Navalnaya. "This information comes only from government sources, and you know that for many years we have not been able to believe what Putin and his government have been saying," she said during her speech at the Munich Security Conference.

Navalny's family does not believe in his death

"If this is true, I would like to tell Putin and his associates that they will be responsible for what they have done to our country, my family, and my husband. They will not go unpunished," she announced at the same time.

"Putin must be held personally responsible for all the atrocities he has committed in the country in recent years," she said.

Alexei Navalny's mother has a similar opinion on this matter. She announced on Facebook that when she saw her son in the penal colony on February 12, he was alive, healthy, and cheerful. "I don't want to hear any condolences. We saw my son in prison on February 12; we were on a visit. He was alive, healthy, and cheerful," wrote Lyudmila Navalnaya.

In January this year, three years have passed since Navalny was arrested and imprisoned upon his return to Russia. Previously, he was in Germany, where he was undergoing treatment after a poisoning attempt, for which - according to many experts - Russia was responsible. A court in Moscow - after numerous criminal cases - sentenced Navalny to a total sentence of over 30 years of imprisonment.