US national security adviser warns of 'consequences' if Kremlin critic Navalny dies

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on April 18 said that the Biden administration would retaliate if the Russian government critic Alexei Navalny dies during a prison hunger strike. In an interview with CNN, Sullivan said that the United States has communicated to Russia that there will be consequences and they will be held accountable by the international community if Navalny dies. He did not specify how retaliation for Navalny’s death might be carried out, however, he added that the US is looking at a variety of different costs that they would impose. 

Sullivan’s warning comes after Navalny’s supporters raised alarm about the high-profile Kremlin critic’s health. On Saturday, his doctors warned that Navalny risks cardiac arrest at “any minute” as his health has exponentially deteriorated. The doctors also urged immediate access to the 44-year-old, who has become the face of the Russian opposition and was sentenced to two and a half year in prison in February on embezzlement charges. 

On Saturday, responding to reporters’ questions about Navalny’s plight, US President Joe Biden responded saying, “It’s totally, totally unfair, totally inappropriate.” As of now, More than 70 prominent international writers, artists and academics, including Jude Law, Vanessa Redgrave and Benedict Cumberbatch, have called on Putin to ensure that Navalny receives proper treatment immediately. Even EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called Navalny’s detention “politically motivated”, while German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass has said that Germany has “urgently” demanded that Navalny received adequate medical treatment and access to doctors he trusts. 

Navalny’s hunger strike 

On March 31, Navalny went on a hunger strike to demand proper medical treatment for back pain and numbness in his legs and hands. Now, his personal doctor Anastasia Vasilyeva along with three others including cardiologist Yaroslav Ashikhmin, have called on prison officials to grant them immediate access to Navalny. They have argued that the potassium level in the leader’s blood was substantially above the average and was could kill him.

As per experts, having blood potassium higher than 6.0 mmol (millimole) per litre usually requires immediate treatment. But, Navalny had it at 7.1 which meant it could d impair both his renal and cardiac functions. This means both impaired renal function and that serious heart rhythm problems can happen any minute,” said a statement on Vasilyeva’s Twitter account.

(Image: AP)