Donald Trump Finally Breaks Silence on Navalny's Death, Casts No Blame on Putin

Donald Trump on Monday ended his lengthy silence on the death of Alexei Navalny, in a statement that avoided criticism of the Kremlin and instead portrayed the Russian opposition leader's sudden passing as a sign of a collapsing United States.

Alexei Navalny died in unexplained circumstances at age 47 in an Arctic prison last week, shocking Russia's exiled opposition as well as the West, where leaders have blamed President Vladimir Putin and authorities in Moscow.

But former US president Trump, who is leading in Republican Party primary polls ahead of the United States' November elections, had been mum on the issue -- in the face of growing criticism -- until a Monday social media post which focused on what he called a "failing" America.