Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has declared her intention to return to Russia to run for president once Vladimir Putin is no longer in power. “When the time is right, I will enter the election as a candidate,” she stated firmly.
In an interview with the BBC, Navalnaya identified Putin as her primary political opponent, emphasizing her commitment to doing everything in her power to bring down his regime as quickly as possible.
Since Navalny’s death in February while imprisoned in a Russian facility in the Arctic Circle, no leader has emerged to unite the diverse factions of the opposition within Russia, and infighting among Russian dissident groups abroad persists.
Navalnaya made it clear that she will not return to Russia while Putin remains in office. Having taken over as Russia’s supreme leader on December 31, 1999, Putin has now been in power for over 24 years, celebrating his 72nd birthday earlier this month.
Alexei Navalny, who passed away unexpectedly on February 16 at the age of 47, was seen as the most charismatic and popular leader among the opposition. He had been serving a sentence that totaled over 30 years, a conviction he claimed was fabricated by Russian authorities to suppress his criticisms of Putin.
Navalny described Putin’s Russia as a fragile criminal state governed by thieves, sycophants, and spies, where those in power are primarily concerned with wealth. He frequently warned of potential political upheaval, including the possibility of a revolution.
The Kremlin has labeled Navalny’s political allies as dangerous extremists representing the West and has sought to expel them from the country.
Navalnaya has accused Putin of ordering her husband’s assassination, a claim the Kremlin vehemently denies. According to reports from the Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal, U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Putin did not order Navalny’s killing.
In response to ongoing investigations, she dismissed the dismissal of claims and asserted that she now leads the Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by her husband, which holds evidence that she plans to reveal to the public once she has a complete understanding of the situation.
