Biden calls on Russia to release Navalny, Kremlin counters with radical remarks

Russian Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that U.S. President Joe Biden‘s speech calling on the Russians to release opposition leader Alexei Navalny was “radical rhetoric” and that the Kremlin would not heed U.S. demands. The Kremlin will not heed U.S. demands.

Tass reported that Peskov told the press that Biden’s speech was “radical and unconstructive. Unfortunately, it was a very aggressive and unconstructive argument,” Peskov said. We cannot accept any ultimatum that is suggestive.”

In his first diplomatic address since taking office at the State Department today, Biden named China, Russia and other countries as “competitors” and made clear to Russia that “the days of the United States letting Russia do whatever it wants to invade, interfere in U.S. elections, hack and poison its own people are over.”

Biden also pointed out that the United States and the international community are very concerned about the Russian people’s right to freedom of speech and assembly, so he also shouted to the Kremlin, hoping that the Kremlin would immediately and unconditionally release Navalny.