Joe Biden says Vladimir Putin ‘and his thugs’ caused Alexei Navalny’s death
- The US president warned there could be consequences for the opposition leader’s passing, as he mulls options for punishing Russia
- Biden also said there was ‘no nuclear threat’, amid reports that Moscow is seeking to deploy anti-satellite technology in space
US President Joe Biden on Friday blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for Alexei Navalny’s death and warned there could be consequences, saying he was “not surprised” but “outraged” by the opposition leader’s passing.
“We don’t know exactly what happened, but there is no doubt that the death of Nalvany was a consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did,” Biden said at the White House after Russian prison officials announced that Navalny had died.
“Russian authorities are going to tell their own story,” Biden said. “But make no mistake. Make no mistake: Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death.”
He also said he was “contemplating” additional steps to punish Russia in the aftermath of Navalny’s death, paying tribute to the opposition leader for “bravely” standing up to Putin’s government’s “corruption” and “violence”.
“We’re contemplating what else can be done,” Biden said in response to questions from reporters. “We’re looking at a whole number of options, that’s all I’ll say right now.”