MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Sunday that he agreed with the theory of a prisoner switch involving opposition chief Alexei Navalny, who died in a penal colony, and “some folks in jail in Western nations.”Putin’s feedback got here after NBC Information requested: “Mr. President, journalist Evan Gershkovich spent this election in jail; Boris Nadezhdin, who opposes your conflict in Ukraine, used to be no longer allowed to face towards you; and Alexei Navalny died in certainly one of your prisons right through your marketing campaign. Mr. President, is that this what you’d name democracy?”Putin, who hardly speaks Navalny’s identify, stated in reaction that “a number of days sooner than Mr. Navalny perished, I used to be informed via a few of my colleagues … that there’s an concept to switch Mr. Navalny for some folks in jail in Western nations.” “Imagine me or no longer, the individual chatting with me infrequently completed their sentence once I stated: ‘I agree.’ However sadly, the object that took place took place,” Putin added, talking as he declared victory within the nation’s elections. Putin’s remarks got here at the final day of a countrywide election through which he used to be main with 88% of the vote. His anticipated win, following a constant crackdown on dissent, will lengthen his just about quarter-century of rule for 6 extra years. Navalny’s supporters have alleged that Putin had him killed to thwart an forthcoming prisoner switch that may have freed him and two American citizens. 5 resources informed NBC Information that this type of deal used to be being negotiated however that it used to be no longer forthcoming when Navalny died Feb. 16 at age 47.Putin stated the switch would have had one situation — that Navalny by no means go back to Russia.Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, who’s in Berlin, used to be introduced the risk to return to Russia and notice her husband, however she selected to stick out of the country, Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, later informed NBC Information.Navalny, a legal professional and anti-corruption campaigner who led opposition to Putin for greater than a decade, spent his final days in a Russian penal colony above the Arctic Circle. Russia’s Federal Jail Provider stated he died after having returned from a stroll and pronouncing he felt ill.In 2020, Navalny virtually died after he used to be poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent whilst on a go back and forth in Russia. He used to be taken to Germany for remedy and used to be arrested after he returned to Russia — spending his ultimate years at the back of bars following a conviction on extremism-related fees.His loss of life has been broadly blamed at the Kremlin. In a fiery speech on the White Space the day Navalny died, President Joe Biden stated he had “certainly” Navalny’s loss of life “used to be the outcome of one thing that Putin and his thugs did.”RecommendedThe subsequent week, Biden introduced greater than 500 sanctions he stated have been designed to carry Russia in control of Navalny’s loss of life and for the rustic’s conflict with Ukraine. The sanctions goal folks hooked up to Navalny’s imprisonment, in addition to Russia’s monetary and protection sectors, Biden stated.“They’re going to make certain Putin can pay an excellent steeper value for his aggression out of the country and repression at house,” he stated on Feb. 23.Keir Simmons is leader global correspondent for NBC Information, based totally in London.Natasha Lebedeva is NBC’s Senior Director for World Affairs, based totally in Washington.Dennis Romero contributed.
