WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden “did not hold back” in his phone call this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Thursday.
Biden brought up Russia’s treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and other difficult issues in the phone call.
“He did not hold back in conveying his concern about the treatment of Alexei Navlany and his treatment of protesters,” Psaki told reporters. She said Biden “had never held back as it relates to President Putin or his concerns about the actions of the Russian government and he certainly conveyed that clearly in the call.”
(Reporting By Nandita Bose and Steve Holland)
