Biden condemns 'Putin and his thugs' for Navalny's death.

President Biden on Friday personally blamed President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for the reported death of captured Russian dissident Aleksei A. Navalny, citing the case in urging Republicans in the House of Representatives to seek military aid Ukraine in its war with Moscow.

“Make no mistake: Putin is responsible for Navalny's death,” Biden said in a televised statement from the White House. “Putin is responsible. What happened to Navalny is further evidence of Putin's brutality. No one should be fooled, not in Russia, not at home, not anywhere in the world.”

Asked whether Mr Navalny was killed, Mr Biden said the United States did not have a full understanding of the circumstances. “The answer is that we don't know exactly what happened, but there is no doubt that Navalny's death was a consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did.”

Mr Navalny's death came almost three years after Mr Biden said he warned Mr Putin at a meeting in Geneva not to harm the dissident while he was in prison, adding that no one would buy Russian cover stories when he turned out to be dead. “I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia,” Mr. Biden told reporters after the 2021 meeting.

“What do you think happens when he says it's not about hurting Navalny, all those things he says to rationalize Navalny's treatment, and then he dies in prison?” Mr. Biden said at the time. “It's about trust. It's about their ability to influence other countries in a positive way.”

But the president conceded Friday that it would be difficult to achieve these “devastating” consequences because Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the years since had prompted the United States and the West to impose broad sanctions and other punishments on Moscow. leaving fewer instruments for action. Still, Mr. Biden said, “We're looking at a whole range of options.”

The Biden administration has tried to pass a foreign aid package that includes $60.1 billion for Ukraine, but the bill faces Republican opposition in the House of Representatives. Former President Donald J. Trump has encouraged Republican opposition to the measure, and Mr. Biden sought to win support among splintered Republicans on Friday.

Mr Biden said Mr Navalny's death should remind Americans of the importance of standing up to Mr Putin and lashed out at his challenger, Mr Trump, who said last weekend he would “encourage” Russia to join NATO -attack allies who do not spend enough on their own armies. Mr. Biden, who called that a “dangerous statement,” pledged to support Europe against Russian aggression.

The president praised Mr Navalny's courage in returning to Russia even after being poisoned, knowing that upon his return he would risk being sent to prison as he was.

“He was so many things that Putin wasn't,” Biden said. “He was courageous, he was principled, he was committed to building a Russia where the rule of law existed and where it applied to all.”