Following the death of Vladimir Putin’s critic Alexei Navalny on Friday an analyst has warned that his murder could be part of the Russian leader’s plan to escalate conflict.
Navalny suddenly died despite and the Russian state media outlet TASS reported that during his court session on Thursday Putin’s critic “felt well and spoke actively.”
The court said that Navalny did not complain of feeling unwell and he did report any health issues and was seen joking and laughing whilst appearing before a video link.
TASS was told by the court on Friday, “Yesterday, he took part in a court session, he felt well and did not complain about health problems.
“He spoke actively, arguing in support for his position.”
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Biden warns Putin of ‘devastating’ consequences over Alexei Navalny’s death
Ariel Cohen, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Eurasia Centre said that Putin is the same as Joseph Stalin was, he would always execute his political opponents to stay in power, and the Russian leader has been accused of taking his country into a “dark, dark place.”
Sky News reported that Cohen said, “I am wondering if this is a part of some kind of a Putin plan of cleaning up before a bigger conflict in Europe.
“There are many more signs today that Putin is preparing to escalate the conflict beyond Ukraine.
“This regime is comparable to the regime of Joseph Stalin. Stalin executed his political opponents.”
Cohen added that Navalny had “exposed deep, pervasive corruption of the ruling circles,” including the police and FSB.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the “weakness and rot” within the Russian government, and Putin is directly responsible.
Blinken said, “For more than a decade, the Russian government, Putin, have persecuted, poisoned and imprisoned Alexei Navalny – and now, reports of his death.”
“His death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built.
“Russia is responsible for this.”
The British Foreign Secretary has said on Friday that Putin must be held “accountable” and there will be “consequences” for the murder of Alexei Navalny who died in a maximum security prison near to the Arctic Circle.
In June 2021 the US President Joe Biden warned Putin that if Navalny dies in prison the “consequences” will be “devastating for Russia,” however it was never made clear what America will do.
Biden and Putin met in Geneva on 16 June 2021, the US President said, “I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia.”
Biden added, “What do you think happens when he’s saying it’s not about hurting Navalny, all the stuff he says to rationalise the treatment of Navalny, and then he dies in prison?… It’s about trust.
“It’s about their ability to influence other nations in a positive way.”
Biden continued, “I also told him that no president of the United States could keep faith with the American people if they did not speak out to defend out democratic values, to stand up for the universal and fundamental freedoms that all men and women have in our view.”
