His YouTube exposés make Navalny a deadly opponent – and shame the UK for its cowardice

ALEXEI NAVALNY is Vladimir Putin’s most dangerous foe. Yesterday showed why. Tens of thousands of Russians in scores of cities turned out, even in temperatures below -50C, to protest against their rulers’ greed, lies and thuggery. Kremlin spin doctors dismiss the anti-corruption campaigner as a crook, a Western stooge and an extremist. They mock the story of his near-lethal poisoning by the novichok nerve agent. They dismiss his excoriating investigations into the regime’s corruption.

Indeed, inside Russia, Navalny is officially a nobody. Putin refuses to mention his name. The supine state-controlled television channels ignore him. Most Russians say they have heard little or nothing about the pugnacious 44-year-old.

And even if they have, many believe that their vast country is better off with the Putin regime, for all its faults.

Over the past 20 years the judo- loving ex-KGB man has brought them stability and modest prosperity. For all the repression meted out to critics, most of Russia’s 140 million population enjoys a large measure of personal freedom.

By the bleak, blood-drenched standards of past centuries, the past two decades look like a golden age to many. But Navalny’s videos are puncturing that illusion.

His latest – released just after his arrest – shows one of Putin’s palaces, a pharaonic folly that epitomises the corruption and cronyism that infest Russia’s political system.

Millions of Russians have watched Navalny’s witty, hard- hitting appearances on YouTube. They are subtitled in English. I urge you to watch them too.

His investigations show not only how Russia’s elite loots the country, but also how it stashes its ill-gotten gains in the West.

I met Navalny in London a few years ago. He launched a blistering attack on the City of London, and the bankers, l awyers and accountants who act as enablers for Russia’s thieving rulers. He was right. And events since then have underlined his point.

Inside Russia, Navalny’s campaign is gaining momentum, while Putin’s regime has never looked more threadbare.

The continued hesitancy of Western governments, including Britain’s, in tackling Kremlin kleptocracy is shameful.

The tide of dirty money corrupts our own system of government, allowing rich people to buy protection and influence. It also stokes the narrative, assiduously promoted by the Russian propaganda machine, that our talk of democracy and the rule of law is mere window-dressing. In the end, our system is just like theirs. Our hypocrisy is a bitter blow for the brave, idealistic Russians like those who demonstrated yesterday, who yearn for liberty and dignity. Shamingly, they believe in our values more than we do ourselves.

Navalny’ s personal bra very should inspire us. He has freely chosen to return home, to the clutches of a regime that tried to murder him, to lead the fight for his country’s future.

HOW many of our politicians can we imagine showing similar fortitude? Our response so far is empty phrases. The Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is ‘gravely concerned’ about Navalny’s arrest. The hard men in the Kremlin will hardly tremble at that.

They are used to criticism. And to our double standards.

Angry words fly out from London. Dirty money and private jets fly in. The message is clear: Britain talks about democracy – but profits matter more.

Navalny’s campaign l ast week asked Western governments to target eight top super-rich Russians with sanctions.

They include the Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich and the former Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov. Both men deny any involvement in corruption.

The Biden administration looks ready to act. So too do some EU countries. Will we in Britain choose courage or cowardice?

Our decision will send a powerful signal, to Moscow – and to our allies.