Washington, D.C. – Foreign Policy for America (FP4A) is deeply saddened by the reports that Alexei Navalny, Russia’s de facto opposition leader, has died while being held in a remote Arctic prison following his conviction on falsified charges. Navalny was a courageous crusader against the corruption of President Putin and his cronies, and he was an inspiration to pro-democracy opposition movements in Russia and around the world.
While the circumstances of Navalny’s death remain shrouded, President Biden said, “Make no mistake: Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death…What has happened to Navalny is yet more proof of Putin’s brutality. No one should be fooled, not in Russia, not at home, not anywhere in the world.”
Putin’s attempts to suppress democracy, silence opposition, and export authoritarianism abroad are nothing new. In the face of Putin’s blatant disregard for human life and territorial aggression, we cannot allow him to become emboldened by America’s inaction. Navalny’s death simply reinforces the need for the House to swiftly take up and pass the emergency funding for Ukraine that has been passed by the Senate. This funding would immediately provide the military and other assistance Ukraine needs in its fight against Putin’s ruthless vision of eliminating the country’s democracy. The United States must stand with those who are willing to fight and die for a better future for their country and to preserve our freedoms from the threat of corruption and authoritarianism.
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