White House weighs next steps after Navalny’s death

In June 2021, President Biden warned of “catastrophic” consequences for Russia if opposition leader Alexei Navalny were to die in prison.

On Friday, as that possibility became a reality, the White House used Navalny’s death to underline the dangers of leaving Ukraine and its NATO allies. The president then told reporters that the White House was “currently considering all options” on how to respond to Navalny’s death.

Biden and other officials placed the blame for Navalny’s death squarely on Russian President Vladimir Putin. In remarks from the White House, Biden criticized House Republican leaders for going into a two-week recess without responding to requests for aid to Ukraine.

Biden himself seems to acknowledge that the United States has already exhausted some of the ways it can squeeze Russia. The regime has imposed heavy sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where the United States has provided military equipment and thousands of Russians have died in fighting there.

Meanwhile, the administration’s efforts to help Ukraine have been blocked by House Republicans, and former President Trump has renewed concerns in recent days that he could undermine the NATO alliance if re-elected.

“This tragedy reminds us of the dangers of this moment. We must provide funding so Ukraine can continue to protect itself from President Putin’s heinous onslaught and war crimes,” Biden said. he said.

“History is watching the Duma. The failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten. It will remain in the pages of history,” he continued. “This has to happen. We have to help now. We need to understand what we are dealing with with President Putin.”

Biden’s call for action from Congress reflects the seriousness of the Russia issue. In addition to Navalny’s death, U.S. officials on Thursday warned, and the White House confirmed, that Russian forces were close to seizing the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka. During the week, Moscow is working to develop “anti-satellite” capabilities in space.

At the same time, Trump, who is likely to be the Republican presidential nominee in November, has said in recent appearances that he will not protect NATO allies if they do not contribute enough to meet the alliance’s defense spending goals. Suggests.

“Whatever response the administration comes up with will be coordinated with our allies and partners,” said Emily Horn, President Biden’s former National Security Council spokeswoman.

“Here at home, the president and his team are drawing a clear line between a competent administration that respects the importance of the alliance and the Donald Trump administration, which six days ago said it had no intention of encouraging Russia. I think you’re going to see them pull back to do ‘whatever they want.’ ”

The White House also unsuccessfully sought the release of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, two Americans deemed to have been wrongly detained on spying charges in Russia.

Navalny, an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin and a notorious leader of Russia’s opposition, died in prison on Friday at the age of 47. Russia’s Federal Prison Service announced that Mr. Navalny felt unwell after the walk and lost his consciousness.

He is serving a 19-year sentence for extremism and was transferred from another prison to the country’s highest-security facility near the Arctic Circle in December.

Navalny has been imprisoned since January 2021, when he returned to Russia after recovering from the poisoning, blaming Putin, who denies trying to kill him with a nerve agent he was treated with. There is.

Biden said after his 2021 meeting with Putin in Geneva that Navalny’s death would have “catastrophic” consequences for Russia. Asked about those comments on Friday, Biden said Russia has faced “so many consequences” in the three years since then, primarily over its invasion of Ukraine.

But he suggested there would be some reaction to Navalny’s death.

A former senior Biden official said the U.S. relationship with NATO allies would likely be “highly valued” and any action would be taken after careful consultation with allies.

White House officials believe Navalny’s death further highlights the tough choices Americans face about the country’s role on the world stage.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) vetoed a bill that would provide billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, even after it passed with a bipartisan majority in the Senate.

President Trump brazenly suggested over the weekend that the United States might not come to the rescue of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states that have been attacked by Russia.

“You didn’t pay? Are you in arrears?” President Trump said at a rally in South Carolina. “‘No, I’m not going to protect you. In fact, I’d encourage them to do whatever they want to do. You’ve got to pay the bills. You’ve got to pay the bills.’ ”

Vice President Harris made the stark divide between President Trump’s worldview and the Biden administration’s worldview a central theme of her remarks at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, which was held in the wake of Navalny’s death. It was almost overshadowed by the news.

“There are those in the United States who suggest that it is in the best interest of the American people to isolate themselves from the rest of the world; to ignore common understandings among nations; to embrace dictators and employ tyrannical tactics.” “We are abandoning our commitments to our allies in favor of unilateral action,” Harris said.

“Let’s be clear: that worldview is dangerous, unstable, and downright short-sighted,” Harris continued. “That view weakens America, undermines global stability, and undermines global prosperity. Therefore, President Biden and I reject that view.”