MUNICH — Shock, sadness and anger rippled through the hallways and conference rooms of the Munich Security Council on Friday as news spread of Alexei Navalny's death, announced by authorities at the Siberian prison where he was held late last year. Spread it out.
That wasn't surprising. Navalny had survived previous attempts on his life, including being poisoned with a military nerve agent in 2020. His frequent refusals to die perhaps made it even more difficult to understand the reality of President Vladimir Putin. The relentless challenger is likely gone.
At the meeting, German Ambassador to the United States Emily Haber, who previously worked in Moscow and knew Navalny well, reacted with shock.
“Oh my god! We were working to rescue him,” she said.
The news came as Vice President Kamala Harris began her scheduled speech, where she began by talking about the news. “If true, it would be a further sign of President Putin's brutality,” she said.
“And no matter what they tell us, let's be clear: Russia is responsible,” Harris said, including a condemnation of President Putin and a reaffirmation of U.S. support for Ukraine. he said before moving on to a prepared statement.
Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, appeared on stage. Tall, dignified, and poised, she addressed the hushed crowd in Russian.
“You have all heard about this terrible news,” Navalnaya said. “I thought for quite a while. 'Should I stand here in front of you or should I go back to the kids?' Then I thought, “What would Alexei have done in my place?” And surely he would have stood on this stage. ”
Still, she questioned whether the news of her husband's death was true.
“We cannot trust President Putin and his government. They lie all the time,” she said.
“But if that's true, then I want to say to President Putin and all his staff, everyone around him, his government, his friends, that they are against our country, my family and my family. “I want them to know that they will be punished for what they did, along with my husband,” she said. “They will be judged, and that day will come soon.”
Navalnaya then called on the international community to “stand together and fight this evil.” We must fight this terrible regime in Russia today. ”
“This regime and President Vladimir Putin must be held personally responsible for all the atrocities committed in our country over the past years,” she concluded.
She thanked those in attendance who stood up to applause.
Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador and a friend of Mr. Navalny, said Mr. Navalny told him at dinner with him the night before that he had no signs of illness. There was little doubt among those present that Navalny's death was nothing short of an assassination.
Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who led the bipartisan Congressional delegation, said he had not reviewed the information, but said he had not only confirmed that Putin killed him, but also that the world gathered in Munich on the 20th. He said there was no doubt he had timed his death to send a message to leaders. Friday.
