Biden warns Putin ahead of summit: Navalny’s death would hurt Russia’s standing

President Joe Biden issued a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of their Wednesday summit that the death of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny would hurt Russia’s relationships with the rest of the world. “Navalny’s death would be another indication that Russia has little or no intention of abiding by basic fundamental human rights,” Biden said at a press conference Monday following the NATO summit.

“It would be a tragedy. It would do nothing but hurt his relationships with the rest of the world, in my view, and with me,” he said. Concern over Navalny’s imprisonment and worsening health condition is the latest drumbeat in the already tense relations between Moscow and the West. A joint NATO statement on Monday said that Russia’s “aggressive actions constitute a threat to Euro-Atlantic security.” It cited Moscow’s military buildup, its use of cyberattacks and hybrid warfare, the annexation of Crimea and Kremlin-funded disinformation campaigns as some of the actions.

As Biden prepares to meet one on one with Putin, the White House insists that the Geneva summit does not amount to a reward for Putin, placing him on a par with the United States. Instead, the meeting will be a businesslike review of the bilateral relationship. Biden will raise several pressing concerns but will also seek areas where Russia and the United States can work together.

Biden warns Putin ahead of summit: Navalny’s death would hurt Russia’s standing, CNBC, Jun 15