Blinken: Reported Navalny death underscores 'weakness and rot' at heart of Putin system

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that Alexei Navalny’s reported death underscores the “weakness and rot” at the heart of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s system, holding the Kremlin responsible for the death of their top opposition leader.  

Blinken blasted Putin’s regime and the chokehold he has over the country’s affairs in remarks at the Munich Security Conference, offering condolences to the Navalny family.  

“First and foremost, if these reports are accurate, our hearts go out to his wife and to his family,” Blinken said while speaking with India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. 

“Beyond that, 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.” 

Blinken said "Russia is responsible" for Navalny’s death and that the U.S. will be in correspondence with other nations regarding the situation.   

The Russian Federal Prison Service said that Navalny felt unwell and lost consciousness after a walk. Medical teams allegedly tried to save him, but they were unsuccessful.

Navalny’s death caused an outcry around the world. 

Vice President Harris, in reaction to the news of his death, cast doubt on the narrative coming out of Russia. 

"We’ve all just received reports that Alexei Navalny has died in Russia. This is of course terrible news, which we are working to confirm,” Harris said while also attending the conference in Munich.

“My prayers are with his family, including his wife Yulia, who is with us today,” she continued. “If confirmed, this would be a further sign of Putin’s brutality. Whatever story they tell, let us be clear: Russia is responsible, and we will have more to say on this later.”