US President Joe Biden, presenting the foreign policy course of the new White House administration, said that Russia should immediately release Alexei Navalny.
According to Biden, Navalny should be released immediately and without condition.
"Mr. Navalny, like all Russian citizens is entitled to his rights under the Russian constitution," Biden said. "He's been targeted for exposing corruption and should be released immediately and without condition," Biden said.
Biden also pledged that the US would make Russia "pay" for its actions. In his speech, he declared his readiness to resist Russia's attempts to damage American democracy and warned that the time when the United States would roll over in the face of Russia's aggressive actions was over.
"I made it very clear to President Putin in a manner very different from my predecessor that the days of the United States rolling over in the face of Russian aggressive actions, interfering with our elections, cyberattacks, poisoning its citizens, are over," Biden said.
At the same time, the new head of the White House announced his readiness to cooperate with Russia on issues in the interests of the United States.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Biden's speech as aggressive and unconstructive rhetoric, RIA Novosti reports.
"Ultimatum notes are unacceptable for us, and we will not heed theis kind of mentoring statements," he said, commenting on Biden's words that "Russia will pay for everything."
At the same time, Peskov noted that, in his opinion, Russia and the United States have a basis for interaction, despite many disagreements.
Commenting on Biden's statement, State Duma Deputy Leonid Slutsky said that the White House continues the line on the undeclared "Cold War 2.0" with the Russian Federation. He also expressed an opinion that Biden's speech indicated an intention to increase the pace of interference in the internal affairs of Russia.