23-2-2024 (WASHINGTON) President Joe Biden met with the wife and daughter of the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny in California on Thursday, expressing his “heartfelt condolences” over Navalny’s death. The White House stated that Biden admired Navalny’s courage and legacy in the fight against corruption and for a free and democratic Russia. Emphasizing that Navalny’s legacy will endure through those mourning his loss worldwide, Biden highlighted the ongoing struggle for freedom, democracy, and human rights.
Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, and their daughter Dasha were present at the meeting. The White House posted photos on social media, showing the president embracing Yulia Navalnaya. Earlier in the day, Yulia had posted on Instagram about her visit to her daughter, who is a student at Stanford University.
Speaking to reporters in Los Angeles, Biden described Navalny as a man of incredible courage and commended his wife and daughter for emulating his courage. The president also announced that his administration would impose sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he held responsible for Navalny’s death.
CBS News has learned that the sanctions will target companies, banks, and individuals both inside and outside Russia. The U.S. is set to impose over 500 sanctions on Russia, its enablers, and its military war machine, making it the largest set of sanctions since Russia invaded Ukraine. The sanctions will be issued by the Treasury and State Departments.
Navalny, a prominent critic of Putin, exposed corruption among the Russian elite and advocated for democratic reforms. Russian authorities announced his death last week, leading to global expressions of grief. President Biden promptly blamed Navalny’s death on the Kremlin.
During the meeting with Navalny’s family, Biden affirmed that his administration would announce major new sanctions against Russia in response to Navalny’s death, Russia’s repression, aggression, and its war in Ukraine. The cause of Navalny’s death remains unknown, and Russian authorities have faced accusations of pressuring his family for a quiet burial.
Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, revealed that officials allowed her to see his body but pressured her to agree to a quiet burial. Yulia Navalnaya accused Russian authorities of killing her husband with a Soviet-era nerve agent and delaying the release of his body. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations as “absolutely unfounded, insolent accusations about the head of the Russian state.”
