00:22 Biden: «I said there will be a price to pay»
“I said there will be a price to pay”: US President Joe Biden said this when commenting on the death of Alexiei Navalny with journalists in Delaware. «I have heard several things that have not been confirmed. But the fact of the matter is that Putin is responsible. Regardless of whether he ordered it, he is responsible for the circumstances… It’s a reflection of who he is. It cannot be tolerated,” Biden said.
17 Feb – 9.57pm Tajani: “Navalny killed directly or indirectly”
«I said from the beginning, the truth must be ascertained» about the death of Alexei Navalny, «but the fact is that he was in a gulag near the North Pole. You may not kill a person directly but you can also make them die, which is the same thing. I don’t know if he was made to die because of the way he was kept in prison but in any case he was killed, either directly or indirectly the regime killed him.”
The Foreign Minister underlined this Antonio Tajani answering questions from Serena Bortone during the Rai3 broadcast “Chesarà…”, prompted by the statements of the deputy secretary of the League Andrea Crippa.
17 Feb – 16:30 Moscow: death due to “sudden death syndrome”
Today the mother of Alexei Navalny was informed that the Russian opponent was the victim of “sudden death syndrome” and that the body will not be returned to his family until the end of the investigation. “When the lawyer and Alexei’s mother arrived at the penal colony this morning, they were told that the cause of Navalny’s death was sudden death syndrome,” Ivan Zhdanov, who heads the Anti-Corruption Foundation of Navalny. “Sudden death syndrome” is a general term for various cardiac syndromes that cause sudden cardiac arrest and death, the Guardian reports.
17 Feb – 16:14 Calenda launches initiative for Navalny, Schlein: «The Democratic Party is there»
Carlo Calenda launches the idea of a demonstration to remember Navalny, and Elly Schlein soon announces the adhesion of the Democratic Party. «Throughout Europe large spontaneous squares have gathered» to do so, «In Italy it has not happened. It is appropriate that the pro-European and democratic political forces promote a joint initiative on Monday afternoon in Rome when parliamentary work resumes”, writes the leader of Action on freedom, in solidarity with those who are arrested in Russia today because they disagree with Putin and protest over Navalny’s death.”
17 Feb – 1.37pm Alexei Navalny’s spokeswoman: “The Russian authorities are lying about his death”
Alexei Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, today accused the Russian authorities of “lying” about the causes of the opponent’s death and of trying to “do everything not to hand over his body”. Navalny’s lawyer was told that “the cause of death has not been established” yet, Yarmysh said on the team’s Telegram channel, reported by the Dozhd newspaper.
17 Feb – 1.04pm Navalny, the spokeswoman: «The body is not in the morgue»
Alexei Navalny’s body is not in the Salekhard morgue. The opponent’s spokesperson reports it, Count Yarmysh, on X. «Alexey’s lawyer and his mother arrived at the Salekhard morgue. It is closed however, even though the penal colony assured that it was open and that Navalny’s body was there. The lawyer called the phone number that was on the door. He was told that he was the seventh to call today. Alexey’s body is not in the morgue,” he writes.
17 Feb – 12.04 Zelensky: «If we don’t stop Putin, it will cause a catastrophe»
«If we don’t act now» Russian leader Vladimir «Putin will manage to turn the next few years into a catastrophe». The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr, said this Zelensky, in his speech at the Munich Security Conference, asking Kiev’s allies for greater support in the war against the Russian invasion. “We must do not something, but everything possible,” the Ukrainian president said.
17 Feb – 12.02 Over 100 arrested in Russian cities at rallies in memory of Navalny
Over 100 people were detained in various Russian cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, during rallies in memory of Alexei Navalny, according to human rights organization Ong-Info.
17 Feb – 11.59 Several arrested in Russian cities at rallies in memory of Navalny
Several people were also stopped this morning by the police in several Russian cities while they were taking part in rallies in memory of Alexei Navalny. This was reported by the NGO Ovd-Info. According to the AFP agency, around fifteen people have been arrested in Moscow. Ovd-Info reports that among those arrested in St. Petersburg there is an Orthodox priest who wanted to celebrate a Mass in the public square for Navalny.
17 Feb – 10.49 Zelensky: «Withdrawal from Avdiivka was the right decision to save as many lives as possible»
The withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the town of Avdiivka was a “right decision” to “save as many lives as possible” as Ukrainian soldiers struggled to resist the onslaught of Russian troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this at the Munich Security Conference. “It was a logical, right and professional decision to save as many lives as possible,” he said.
17 Feb – 10.48 Zelensky: options Putin, The Hague or killed by collaborators
“Putin only has two options: end up in The Hague (at the International Criminal Court) or be killed by one of the people around him who are now killing for him.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr said this Zelensky speaking at the Munich Security Conference.
17 Feb – 10:06 Zelensky: «May 2024 be the year to re-establish a rules-based world order»
“February 24, 2022 could have marked the end of the world we know, a world of rules to protect life” and “2024 must become the time to fully re-establish a rules-based world order.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr said this Zelensky speaking at the Munich Security Conference. “Russia that does not respect the rules must remain in the past, we can ensure this not by doing something, but by doing everything necessary,” she added.
17 Feb – 07:07 Siege of Avdiivka, Ukrainian armed forces leave the city
«Ukrainian Armed Forces withdraw from Avdiivka». This was stated – as reported by Tass – by Oleksandr Syrskyy, commander of the Kiev armed forces. «Based on the operational situation that has developed around Avdiivka, in order to avoid encirclement and to preserve the life and health of military personnel, I decided to withdraw our units from the city and switch to defense on more advantageous lines », Syrsky wrote on his Facebook page. The town of Avdiivka is located in eastern Ukraine, a short distance from Donetsk. For several weeks now the situation in the area had worsened considerably for the Ukrainian army, closed in a vice by the Russians. General Oleksandr Tarnavsky, who commands Kiev’s armed forces in the area, announced the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops on Telegram: “In accordance with the order received, we withdrew from Avdiivka to the positions prepared in advance.”
17 Feb – 07:05 Navalny, the United Kingdom summons Russian diplomats
The British government has summoned diplomats from the Russian embassy to say that the Russian authorities are held “fully responsible” for the death of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny. Britain’s Foreign Office said in its statement that Navalny’s death in his Arctic prison must be “subject to a full and transparent investigation.”
17 Feb – 07:05 Missile attack alert in the Russian city of Kursk
An alert has been issued for a missile attack in the Russian city of Kursk and surrounding areas. Tass reports it. “Residents have been invited to stay away from windows and take shelter in rooms with solid walls,” the governor of the Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, wrote on Telegram.
17 Feb – 07:04 Russian ambassador to the USA: «Attempt to interfere»
“The reaction of US officials to the death of Alexei Navalny represents another attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation.” This was stated – according to Tass – by the Russian ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov, responding to a question from the media. «The death of a person is always a tragedy. In this situation it is important to understand all the details of what happened. However, American politicians do not want to wait and have already blamed the Russian authorities for everything,” Antonov underlined, concluding: “Such a policy is unacceptable. It would be better for them to focus on the problems in their country that require an urgent solution.”