Though beyond tragic, the world probably wasn't shocked to learn of the death of a longtime critic of President Vladimir Putin.
According to ABC News, Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, 47, reportedly died while in Russian custody last week, marking yet another Putin critic who conveniently perished while in custody.
President Joe Biden released a statement on Navalny's death, admitting he wasn't surprised by the situation, noting he was also "outraged" at the news.
The Putin critic's death was announced by Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service, saying he died in prison.
President Biden blamed Navalny's death squarely on the Russian president, going as far as to accuse Putin and the Russian government of creating a story to make it sound like his death was of natural causes.
"Russian authorities are going to tell their own story," Biden said during an address from the White House. "Make no mistake: Putin is responsible for Navalny's death."
"What has happened to Navalny is yet more proof of Putin's brutality," the president said.
Biden added, "No one should be fooled, not in Russia, not at home, not anywhere in the world. Putin does not only target his citizens of other countries, as we've seen in what's going on in Ukraine right now, he also inflicts terrible crimes on his own people."
BREAKING: In case you did not hear it very well, President Biden, while addressing the death of Alexei Navalny, used the opportunity to say that the impeachment inquiry into his family's alleged corruption should be dropped: "It's just been an outrageous effort." WATCH
NOTE:… pic.twitter.com/v49Simv8Pc
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) February 16, 2024
Aside from using the moment to bash former President Donald Trump and make remarks regarding the investigations into his family members, Biden praised Navalny for his courage in speaking out against Putin for so long.
"As people across Russia and around the world are mourning Navalny today, because he was so many things that Putin was not," Biden said. "He was brave. He was principled. He was dedicated to building a Russia where the rule of law existed and where it applied to everybody."
Users across social media reacted to Biden's remarks.
"He knows who killed Navalny but has no idea who killed Epstein," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "The more this man gets in front of a camera, the faster they’re going to retire him and install somebody else."
Only time will tell if the world ever learns the truth about Navalny's death, but don't count on it.
