Putin on Navalny's death: "We agreed on a prisoner swap"

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Monday he supported an idea to release of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prisoner exchange just days before his death and also described the death as an "unfortunate incident."

In his first comments to address Navalny's death, Putin said that “some people” had told him before Mr. Navalny’s death “that there was an idea to exchange Mr. Navalny for some people held in correctional facilities in Western countries.”

“I said, ‘I agree,’” Putin said. “Just with one condition: ‘We’ll trade him but make sure that he doesn’t come back, let him stay over there. It happens," he added. "There is nothing you can do about it. It's life."

Putin, speaking after early results showed a landslide victory for him in the presidential election, as early returns showed him leading with over 87% of the votes in a race with little competition, poised him to extend his nearly quarter-century rule for six more years.