Alexei Navalny appears in a video published by his team on January 18, 2021. Navalny Live/YouTube The Biden administration called on Russia to release opposition figure Alexei Navalny. The new administration is applying diplomatic pressure on Russia related to Navalny's release and the SolarWinds hack. The New York Times reported that upwards of 3,000 protesters were arrested by Russian authorities as protests spread across the country last week. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. On Wednesday, the Biden administration strengthened its calls for Russia to release opposition figure Alexei Navalny.