Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the reported death of Alexei Navalny highlights the “weakness and corruption” at the core of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, and said the Kremlin’s decision to criticize the opposition leader’s death. He said he was responsible.
In his remarks at the Munich Security Conference, Mr. Blinken criticized the Putin administration and its stranglehold on national politics, and expressed his condolences to Mr. Navalny’s family.
“First and foremost, if these reports are accurate, our hearts go out to his wife and family,” Blinken said in a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
“More than that, his death in a Russian prison, and the obsession and fear of one man, only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system Putin has built.”
Blinken held “Russia responsible” for Navalny’s death and said the United States would communicate with other countries regarding the situation.
Russia’s Federal Prison Service said Navalny felt unwell after the walk and lost consciousness. Medical teams are said to have tried to save him but were unsuccessful.
Navalny’s death sparked protests around the world.
Vice President Harris, reacting to the news of his death, questioned reports coming out of Russia.
“We all just received reports that Mr. Alexei Navalny has died in Russia. Of course this is terrible news and we are working to confirm it,” Harris said in Munich. He spoke while attending a meeting.
“My prayers are with his family, including his wife Yulia, who is with us today,” she continued. “If confirmed, this would be a further sign of President Putin’s brutality. Whatever story they tell, let’s be clear: Russia is responsible. I will discuss this in more detail later.”
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