Biden meets Navalny's family: Praise for bravery, promise of strict Russian sanctions ahead
Biden met with Julia and Daria Navalny, the wife and daughter of the deceased Russian oppositionist, on Thursday. As mentioned in a White House statement, Biden voiced his respect for "the remarkable bravery of Alexei Navalny and his enduring legacy of battling against corruption and for a free and democratic Russia" during the encounter.
"The President expressed admiration for the exceptional fearlessness of Alexei Navalny in his battle against corruption and his fight for a democratic and free Russia", as conveyed in a statement.
On his profile on platform X, Biden shared pictures from this meeting. "In Julia, Dasha and numerous other people across Russia fighting for democracy and human rights, the legacy of Alexei's courage will persist" - he wrote in the post.
Strict sanctions to be imposed
Biden also confirmed earlier predictions that his administration is set to impose another round of severe sanctions on Russia as a response to both Navalny's death, and the regime's repression, including its aggression against Ukraine.
The meeting occurred in San Francisco. Daria, Navalny's daughter, is studying at Stanford University, which is close to this city.
On Thursday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland announced that "hundreds" of sanctions will be enforced, targeting both those involved in the death of the oppositionist and Putin's war engine.
Navalny, as reported by Russian prison services, met an untimely death on February 16th in a penal colony located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in the far North. It's reported that he fell ill and lost consciousness. Despite resuscitation attempts by the services, they were unable to revive him.
