President Joe Biden met with Yulia Navalnaya, the widow, and Dasha Navalnaya, the daughter, of the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny in California on Thursday. The White House revealed that the President expressed his “heartfelt condolences” to the grieving family during the meeting.
“The President conveyed his admiration for Aleksey Navalny’s extraordinary courage and his enduring commitment to fighting against corruption, advocating for a free and democratic Russia where the rule of law applies universally,” stated the White House, using an alternative spelling of Navalny’s first name in a summary of the meeting. “He emphasized that Navalny’s legacy would endure through people globally who mourn his loss and continue the fight for freedom, democracy, and human rights.”
Social media posts from the White House showcased images of President Biden embracing Yulia Navalnaya. Yulia, residing in exile from Russia, had earlier posted on Instagram about her visit to her daughter, a student at Stanford University.
In remarks to reporters in Los Angeles, President Biden acknowledged the incredible courage of Alexey Navalny, stating, “This morning I had the honor of meeting with Alexey Navalny’s wife and daughter. As to state the obvious, he was a man of incredible courage. And it’s amazing how his wife and daughter are emulating that.”
President Biden also disclosed that his administration would be announcing sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he held responsible for Navalny’s death. The sanctions were slated to be unveiled the following day.
A prominent figure and critic of Russian President Putin, Navalny had exposed corruption within the Russian elite and advocated for democratic reforms. His death, announced by Russian authorities last week, prompted global mourning. President Biden promptly attributed Navalny’s demise to the Kremlin.
During the meeting with Navalny’s family, the President reiterated that his administration would announce significant new sanctions against Russia, addressing Navalny’s death, Russia’s repression, aggression, and its ongoing illegal war in Ukraine.
Navalny’s death, occurring in a penal colony in Russia’s far north, remains shrouded in mystery. Detained since 2021 upon his return from Germany, where he had been recovering from a poisoning attempt, Navalny’s passing raised concerns globally. Russian authorities claim the cause of death is still unknown.
Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, revealed on Thursday that officials had allowed her to see his body but pressured her to agree to a discreet burial. She accused them of attempting to orchestrate a quiet ceremony without proper mourning. Yulia Navalnaya, in turn, accused Russian authorities of using a Soviet-era nerve agent to kill her husband and delaying the release of his body until traces of the poison had dissipated. Kremlin spokespersons dismissed these allegations as “absolutely unfounded, insolent accusations about the head of the Russian state.”
