Doctors warned over the weekend that Navalny -- currently on hunger strike in a penal colony east of Moscow -- could die at "any minute". Supporters of the opposition figure have called for massive protests across Russia on Wednesday evening, just hours after President Vladimir Putin delivers his state-of-the-nation address.
The European Union's top diplomats will discuss the situation on Monday, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement, calling for the Kremlin critic to be granted "immediate access to medical professionals he trusts".
“We call on the Russian authorities to grant him immediate access to medical professionals he trusts,” #EuropeanUnion foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Sunday. “The EU will continue to call for his immediate and unconditional release..." https://t.co/WrX6XyrLnn
— (((WilhelmHolz))) (@WilhelmineHoelz) April 18, 2021
Concerns over Navalny's health have mounted against the background of a spike in tensions between Moscow and the West over a litany of issues, including Russia's troop build-up on Ukraine's border, interference in US elections and other perceived hostile activities.
Washington issues stark warning to Kremlin
On Sunday US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the Kremlin had been warned "that there will be consequences if Mr. Navalny dies."
Mr. Navalny should be immediately released, and the perpetrators of the outrageous attack on his life must be held accountable. The Kremlin’s attacks on Mr. Navalny are not just a violation of human rights, but an affront to the Russian people who want their voices heard.
— Jake Sullivan (@jakejsullivan) January 17, 2021
The 44-year-old Navalny was arrested in Russia in January after returning from a near-fatal poisoning he says was carried out by Moscow -- accusations denied by Putin's administration.
He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for embezzlement. He began a hunger strike on 31 March, demanding medical treatment for back pain and numbness to his hands and legs.
The EU last October sanctioned six Russian officials over the assassination attempt, and in February sanctioned another four individuals over Navalny's arrest and sentencing.
France says Russia is 'responsible' for Navalny's health
France's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned on Sunday that those sanctions could be expanded, saying Russia must be held "responsible" for the dissident's health.
"Vladimir #Poutine doit donner des signes d'apaisement" estime @JY_LeDrian, ministre des Affaires étrangères et de l'Europe. La France défend l'intégrité du territoire de l'#Urkaine 🇺🇦
— DimancheEnPolitique (@DimPolitique) April 18, 2021
📺 @letellier_ftv @France3tv #DimPol pic.twitter.com/hXVaZ7ojcM
There was no immediate reaction from the Kremlin, but the Russian ambassador in London, Andrei Kelin, said Navalny "will not be allowed to die in prison".
"But I can say that Mr. Navalny, he behaves like a hooligan," Kelin told the BBC.
Deepening EU worries over Ukraine
EU leaders have also scrambled in the past week to respond to a major military buildup by Russian forces along its border with Ukraine.
Kiev has been battling Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014 and clashes intensified early this year, effectively ending a ceasefire agreed last July.
Faced with the largest deployment of Russian troops on Ukraine's borders since 2014, President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested more help from the West.
Moscow said Sunday it would expel a Ukrainian diplomat, prompting an immediate pledge of retaliation from Kiev.
The rising tensions between the former Soviet republics come against the background of a war of words between Moscow and Washington as US President Joe Biden seeks a tougher line against Putin.
The US on Thursday announced sanctions and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats in retaliation for what the White House says is the Kremlin's US election interference, a massive cyber attack and other hostile activity.
