Harris, Blinken on reports of Navalny's death: Russia is responsible

Speaking at separate events in Munich, Germany, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on reports of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison. The officials said they are waiting to get confirmation of Navalny's death, but both stated that, if so, Vladimir Putin's Russia is responsible.

Video Transcript

KAMALA HARRIS: 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. My prayers are with his family, including his wife Yulia, who is with us today. And if confirmed, this would be a further sign of Putin's brutality. Whatever story they tell, let us be clear. Russia is responsible.

ANTONY BLINKEN: For more than a decade, Russian government, Putin, have persecuted, poisoned, and imprisoned Alexei Navalny, and now the reports of his death. First and foremost, if these reports are accurate, our hearts go out to his wife and to his family. 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. Russia's responsible for this. We'll be talking to many other countries concerned about Alexei Navalny, and especially if these reports bear out to be true.