President Biden met with the late Alexei Navalny’s widow and daughter on Thursday in California, following the loss of the Russian opposition leader.
Biden said on Friday there was “no doubt” the death of Navalny was a “consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did.”
After Navalny died, Russian officials claimed he was not feeling well after he went for a walk at the penal colony where he was jailed in Siberia before losing consciousness and dying.
Biden posted on social media Thursday about the meeting in San Francisco with Yulia and Dasha Navalnaya, Navalny’s wife and daughter, respectively.
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“Today I met with Yulia and Dasha Navalnaya — [Alexei] Navalny’s loved ones — to express my condolences for their devastating loss,” Biden posted on X. “[Alexei’s] legacy of courage will live on in Yulia and Dasha, and the countless people across Russia fighting for democracy and human rights.”
The White House said in a statement that the Biden administration plans to announce new sanctions against Russia on Friday “in response to [Alexei’s] death, Russia’s repression and aggression, and its brutal and illegal war in Ukraine.”
Biden spoke to reporters briefly Thursday about his meeting.
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“I had the honor of meeting with Aleskey Navalny’s his wife and daughter. As to state the obvious, he was a man. Incredible courage. And it’s amazing how his wife and daughter are emulating that,” the president said. “And we’re going to be announcing the sanctions against Putin who is responsible for his death tomorrow. And one thing I made — that was made clear to me is that Yolanda [Yulia] is going to — she’s going to continue to fight in every way. So, we’re not letting up.”
Following the death of Navalny last week, Yulia stepped onto a stage typically reserved for senior politicians in Munich and vowed that Putin and his allies would be brought to justice over the death.
Later she solemnly vowed, “I will continue the work of Alexei Navalny.”
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The statement was ambitious, especially from a woman who once said during an interview with Harper’s Bazaar’s Russian edition that her “key task” was caring for the couple’s children and her home.
Now, her job will be leading the Russian opposition through one of the darkest and most turbulent times in the country’s history.
Shortly after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva, Switzerland, back in 2021, Biden was asked what would happen if Navalny were to die while in Russian custody.
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“I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia,” Biden said at the time.
Last week, Biden was asked about that remark.
“That was three years ago,” Biden said. “In the meantime, they faced a hell of a lot of consequences.”
Biden was referring to Russian troop losses in the war in Ukraine and international sanctions waged against their government.
“I just want to say, ‘God bless Alexei Navalny,’” Biden concluded. “His courage will not be forgotten.”
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
