March 18, 2024
After facing continued criticism for not directly blaming President Vladimir Putin for the killing of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, former US president Donald Trump maintained his stance saying he does not know about it, calling the death "unusual".
Navalny, died last month in a Russian prison, was a prominent voice against the rule of Vladimir Putin.
Western leaders including President Joe Biden consider his death as an assassination, however, the cause of his death is not yet clear.
While speaking with Fox News about Navalny’s death, Donald Trump said Sunday: "I don’t know."
The indictment-stricken former president went on to say: "Perhaps. I mean, possibly, I could say probably. I don’t know. He’s a young man, so statistically, he’d be alive for a long time. You go by the insurance numbers, he’d be alive for another 40 years."
"Something happened that was unusual," the 77-year-old said.
Trump was also asked about the prior attempt on Navalny’s life with poisoning to which he reiterated: "I don’t know. You certainly can’t say for sure. But certainly, that would look like something very bad happened."
The remarks come amid Putin secured his fifth term as President Sunday with 87.8% of the vote — the highest-ever in Russia's history after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.