Joe Biden with Alexei Navalny's wife and daughter
President Joe Biden held a private, emotional meeting with Alexei Navalny’s wife and daughter in California on Thursday, as his government announced further penalties against Russia in response to the Kremlin opposition leader’s death.
President Biden tweeted, “Today, I met with Yulia and Dasha Navalnaya – Aleksey Navalny’s loved ones – to express my condolences for their devastating loss”, through his official ‘X’ handle.
“Aleksey’s legacy of courage will live on in Yulia and Dasha, and the countless people across Russia fighting for democracy and human rights”, Biden added in his tweet.
Today, I met with Yulia and Dasha Navalnaya – Aleksey Navalny's loved ones – to express my condolences for their devastating loss.
Aleksey's legacy of courage will live on in Yulia and Dasha, and the countless people across Russia fighting for democracy and human rights. pic.twitter.com/aiCcgTrws3
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 22, 2024
The visit to a San Francisco hotel came as the White House supported Navalny’s mother’s efforts to reclaim her son’s remains, which Russian officials have refused to release days after his death in an Arctic prison.
Navalny’s team claims the 47-year-old, President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal critic, was killed.
The president’s history of grief (his first wife and newborn daughter died in a car accident in 1972, and his son Beau died of cancer in 2015) has earned him the nickname America’s Consoler-in-Chief.
Following the encounter, Biden stated that the two women exemplified Navalny’s ‘incredible courage’.
“Yulia Navalnaya, who has vowed to continue her late husband’s opposition to Putin, is not giving up”, Biden added.
Also read: Monday’s Ukraine Summit To Be Hosted In Paris By France’s President
