Navalny's Widow to Run for President in Post-Putin Russia

story

Oct 21, 2024

Above: Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Kremlin opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died on February 16 in a Russian prison, stands after addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, on February 28, 2024. Image copyright: Frederick Florin/Contributor/AFP via Getty Imagesstory last updated Oct 24

The Facts

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, stated in an interview with the BBC on Sunday that she intends to return to Russia and run for president once Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin leaves power.
She further expressed her desire to see Putin face trial and "be held in the same conditions Alexei was kept in," repeating what she told the Times in an interview published on Saturday.

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

It's certain that political leaders living in exile do face the risk of gradually losing touch with ordinary people in their home countries, but as things stand in Russia, Navalnaya is the best person to continue the work of her slain husband, unite the democratic opposition camp, and overthrow Putin once and for all.

Time

Establishment-critical narrative

Putin's historic win in this year's Russian presidential election showed that the whole nation stands united with its leader. This sends a strong message to the West and traitors such as Navalnaya that the Russian president will always have his people's full support, whether in war or peace. This smear campaign will never undermine Russian unity.