'That's Life': Russian President Calls Navalny's Death An 'Unfortunate Incident'

In a recent public statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny as an “unfortunate incident.” Putin also suggested that he was willing to release Navalny in a prisoner exchange.

What Happened: Putin made these comments during a news conference following Russia’s presidential election. He mentioned that before Navalny’s death, there were discussions about exchanging him for Russian prisoners held in Western countries. Putin stated that he agreed to this proposal, on the condition that Navalny would not return to Russia, reported The New York Times.

"I said, ‘I agree. Just with one condition: ‘We'll trade him but make sure that he doesn't come back, let him stay over there.' But this happens. That’s life,” Putin said.

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These remarks, in response to a question from NBC News, mark a rare instance of Putin mentioning Navalny’s name in public. Aides to Navalny had claimed that he was on the brink of being released in a prisoner exchange. These discussions reportedly involved swapping Navalny, along with two Americans imprisoned in Russia, for Vadim Krasikov, who is currently imprisoned in Germany for the killing of a former Chechen separatist fighter in Berlin in 2019.

Putin’s comments on Navalny’s death are particularly noteworthy given his previous reluctance to even mention Navalny’s name in public. Navalny, a prominent Kremlin critic, had survived a poisoning attack in 2020.

Why It Matters: Putin’s recent comments come in the wake of his landslide victory in the Russian presidential election, which has been met with international criticism due to the imprisonment of political opponents and censorship. The election also saw protests from the Russian opposition in honor of Navalny’s legacy.

Furthermore, the Biden administration has been accused of election meddling by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, which alleges that the administration is using non-governmental organizations to manipulate voter turnout and discredit the election results. Additionally, Navalny’s death was attributed to natural causes by the director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.

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