Vice President Kamala Harris called for the United States to take a strong foreign policy stance in the wake of Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny‘s death in a Russian prison.
“If confirmed, this would be a further sign of Putin’s brutality,” Harris said in a speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday. “Whatever story they tell, let us be clear: Russia is responsible.”
With Navalny’s wife in attendance, Harris then outlined the case for continued American involvement in the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict, saying it is the United States’s duty to lead.
“I believe it is in the fundamental interest of the American people for the United States to fulfill our long-standing role of global leadership,” she said. “As President [Joe] Biden and I have made clear over the past three years, we are committed to pursue global engagement, to uphold international rules and norms, to defend democratic values at home and abroad, and to work with our allies and partners in pursuit of shared goals.”
The remarks found a receptive audience at the Munich Security Conference, with the crowd breaking into applause on several occasions. Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalny, spoke as well and received a standing ovation.
Harris specifically decried isolationism, a policy stance that has gained currency within the Republican Party.
“There are some in the United States who disagree,” she said. “They suggest it is in the best interests of the American people to isolate ourselves from the world, to flout common understandings among nations, to embrace dictators and adopt their repressive tactics and abandon commitments to our allies in favor of unilateral action.”
Former President Donald Trump alarmed foreign leaders with remarks last weekend saying he would “encourage” Russia to attack NATO allies that fail to spend enough on defense, though some Republicans argued Trump simply intended to spur allies to contribute more to alliance security.
“Let me be clear: that [isolationist] worldview is dangerous, destabilizing, and indeed, shortsighted,” Harris continued. “President Biden and I therefore reject that view.”
Making the case further, she said America’s defense of allies is not based on charity but on the country’s strategic interest.
“I strongly believe America’s role of global leadership is to the direct benefit of the American people,” she said. “Our leadership keeps our homeland safe, supports American jobs, secures supply chains, and opens new markets for American goods.”
Turning to the war in Gaza, Harris said the U.S. is working to end the conflict that began with Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attacks and has led to thousands of Palestinian casualties. The goal, she added, is for Israel to be secure, hostages to be released, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to be resolved, for Hamas to no longer control the strip, and for Palestinians to enjoy freedom and self-determination.
Lastly, Harris circled back to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the leadership of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The United States has led, has allowed Ukraine to achieve what so many thought was impossible today,” she said. “Kyiv stands free and strong.”
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And for that to remain the case, the U.S. must continue its support, she said.
“If we stand by while an aggressor invades its neighbor with impunity, they will keep going, and in the case of Putin, that means all of Europe would be threatened,” she said. “If we fail to impose severe consequences on Russia, other authoritarians across the globe would be emboldened, because you see, they will be watching. They are watching. … Isolation is not insulation.”