A Russian court on Wednesday outlawed groups linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after declaring them "extremist," a move that bans his allies from elections and will further strain U.S.-Russia ties before a closely watched summit.
President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden are due to hold talks in Geneva next week with the fate of Navalny and the crackdown on his movement certain to be on the agenda.
Washington, which has asked Moscow to free Navalny, condemned the court decision, with the State Department calling it "particularly disturbing." The Kremlin says the matter is a purely domestic one and not Biden's business. It has portrayed Navalny as a U.S.-backed trouble-maker, something Navalny has denied.