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Phrase of Aleksei A. Navalny’s loss of life drew condemnation from throughout Europe on Friday, with leaders holding Russia’s authorities, and particularly President Vladimir V. Putin, liable for the demise of the imprisoned Russian dissident.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who was in Germany on Friday for the Munich Safety Convention, mentioned that Mr. Navalny “was killed by Putin, like 1000’s of others who had been tortured due to this one creature.”
Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, talking alongside Mr. Zelensky after signing a safety settlement with him in Berlin, expressed dismay on the experiences of Mr. Navalny’s loss of life, calling them “very miserable.”
“It’s terrible the way in which Russia has modified,” Mr. Scholz mentioned.
His predecessor as chancellor, Angela Merkel, who in 2020 succeeded in persuading Mr. Putin to permit Mr. Navalny to be flown to Berlin for therapy after being poisoned, expressed her “nice dismay” on the experiences of the opposition chief’s loss of life.
“He was a sufferer of Russia’s repressive state energy,” Ms. Merkel mentioned in an announcement. “It’s horrible {that a} brave, fearless voice who stood up for his nation has been silenced by horrible strategies.”
All through her 16-year tenure, Ms. Merkel was thought-about the one Western chief able to speaking with Mr. Putin. Regardless of his repeated makes an attempt to intimidate her, she insisted that he can be extra harmful if remoted, and maintained continuous contact with him. Throughout her last go to to Moscow as chancellor in August 2021, Ms. Merkel urged the Russian president to launch Mr. Navalny, calling his detention “unacceptable.”
In France, which Mr. Zelensky was additionally visiting on Friday, President Emmanuel Macron mentioned: “In right this moment’s Russia, free spirits are put within the Gulag and condemned to loss of life. Anger and indignation.”
“I pay tribute to the reminiscence of Alexeï Navalny, his dedication and his braveness,” Mr. Macron wrote on the social platform X. “My ideas are along with his household, his family members and the Russian individuals.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain, whose nation has lengthy been an outspoken critic of Russia’s detention of Mr. Navalny, in addition to its broader crackdown on dissent, referred to as Mr. Navalny’s loss of life “horrible.”
“Because the fiercest advocate for Russian democracy, Alexei Navalny demonstrated unimaginable braveness all through his life,” Mr. Sunak wrote on X. “My ideas are along with his spouse and the individuals of Russia, for whom it is a enormous tragedy.”
Britain has had a tense relationship with Russia for years, a rift that was deepened by the poisoning of two former Russian intelligence operatives on British soil within the final 20 years, the next expulsion of Russian diplomats from Britain, and Britain’s stalwart assist of Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Mr. Sunak’s sentiments had been echoed by different leaders.
The European Union “holds the Russian regime for sole liable for this tragic loss of life,” Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, mentioned on social media. Mr. Navalny, he added, “fought for the values of freedom and democracy. For his beliefs, he made the final word sacrifice.”
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary common, mentioned Mr. Navalny had been “a robust voice for freedom.” He added, “All of the details needs to be established, and Russia has severe inquiries to reply.”
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