Another Putin critic silenced

The death of Russia’s leading opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, 47, in a penal colony in the Arctic Circle, has appalled many. Serving a 19-year sentence for “extremism”, following a trial widely believed to have been politically motivated, he was the foremost critic of Vladimir Putin and a fierce campaigner for democracy in the country.

World leaders were quick to hold the dictator accountable. US President Joe Biden said “Russia is responsible” for Navalny’s death, describing it as a “proof of Putin’s brutality”. In Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed Navalny’s “incredible courage” describing his death as a “huge tragedy” for the Russian people. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky – himself a victim of several assassination attempts by the Russian leader – said that Navalny’s death showed why Putin must be “held accountable for his actions”.

Nalvany joins a long list of Kremlin critics silenced by the regime, including Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, apparently poisoned by agents of the Russian intelligence services. More recently, a clampdown in Russia before the Presidential election in March has seen numerous opponents of the regime imprisoned.

Only days away from the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Navalny’s death should serve as an important reminder of the reality of Putin’s leadership, and focus minds in Western capitals as they decide on the next round of essential military aid for Kyiv. Some may whisper that now is the time for negotiations. But could such a brutal regime ever be trusted?