President Joe Biden recently convened a private meeting with Yulia and Dasha Navalnaya, the widow and daughter of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who passed away in an Arctic prison last week.
Following the meeting, which took place in California, President Biden expressed in a written statement that Navalny’s “legacy of courage will live on” through them. Navalny, a vocal critic of the Kremlin, tragically died while reportedly out for a walk, as stated by the prison service. However, his wife suspects that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered her husband’s demise.
Several world leaders have directly accused Putin of Navalny’s death. The meeting occurred as the United States prepared to unveil a new set of sanctions against Russia. White House-released photos depicted President Biden embracing Yulia and engaging in conversation with her and Dasha in a San Francisco hotel room.
After the encounter, President Biden informed reporters that Ms. Navalnaya “is going to continue the fight… She’s not giving up.”
The White House has declared a substantial escalation in sanctions, targeting approximately 600 individuals and companies, marking the most extensive set of sanctions since Russia initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. The move comes in direct response to the circumstances surrounding the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
John Kirby, the national security spokesman, emphasized that these new measures are a reaction to the events surrounding Navalny. The Kremlin, however, continues to deny allegations that Navalny was murdered in prison and has dismissed Western reactions to his death as “hysterical.”
In a YouTube video, Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, claimed to be facing threats from the authorities regarding her son’s burial. She expressed that officials have conveyed a demand for a confidential funeral, warning of unspecified consequences if she does not comply. As of now, there has been no immediate response from Russian officials regarding these allegations.
