Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper), Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of murdered Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, has made a highly-charged address to the European Parliament.
Welcoming Yulia Navalnaya to the chamber, the parliament’s President Metsola said that “for many in Russia and outside, Alexei Navalny represented hope. Hope for better days. Hope for a free Russia. Hope in the future.”
She stressed that if “history teaches us anything, it is that the pillars of autocracy, in the end, always, always crumble under the weight of their corruption and people’s inherent desire to live freely. And when they inevitably do, it will be thanks to what Alexei and your family did”.
In her speech on Wednesday in Strasbourg, Navalnaya accused Russian authorities, led by President Vladimir Putin, of having orchestrated Navalny’s killing. She said that the public murder had once again shown everyone that “Putin is capable of anything and that you cannot negotiate with him”. She also expressed concern that none of the EU’s current restrictive measures have stopped Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
To this end, Ms Navalnaya called for more innovative ideas to defeat Putin’s regime, both domestically and in its actions toward its neighbors.
“If you want to defeat Putin, you have to become an innovator. You can’t hurt Putin with another resolution or another set of sanctions that is no different from the previous ones. You aren’t dealing with a politician but with a bloody mobster. The most important thing is the people close to Putin, his friends, associates, and keepers of the mafia’s money. You, and all of us, must fight this criminal gang.”
She continued by saying that, in this case, being politically innovative means fighting organized crime, not political competition.
“No diplomatic notes, but investigations into the financial machinations. Not statements of concern, but a search for mafia associates in your countries, for the discreet lawyers and financiers who are helping Putin and his friends to hide money”.
She also pointed out that “in this fight, you have reliable allies – there are tens of millions of Russians who are against Putin, against the war, against the evil he brings”, before concluding:
“Putin must answer for what he has done to my country. Putin must answer for what he has done to a neighboring peaceful country. And Putin must answer for everything he has done to Alexei”.
Following her address, representatives of the Parliament’s political groups also took the floor.
Terry Reintke, President of the Greens/EFA Group, commented, “Last Saturday marked the second anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified, and illegal war against Ukraine. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and occupation of parts of the Donbas Region. Over the two years since the full-scale invasion, Russia has indiscriminately attacked residential areas and civilian infrastructures. In this Ukraine’s urgent time of need, we must step up and support Kyiv in its struggle against Russian aggression.
Terry Reintke, President of the Greens/EFA Group, commented, “Last Saturday marked the second anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified, and illegal war against Ukraine. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and occupation of parts of the Donbas Region. Over the two years since the full-scale invasion, Russia has indiscriminately attacked residential areas and civilian infrastructures. In this Ukraine’s urgent time of need, we must step up and support Kyiv in its struggle against Russian aggression.
Before he died in prison on 16 February 2024, Alexei Navalny was one of Russia’s most famous oppositional voices, known for his work in exposing corruption, as well as an ardent critic of President Vladimir Putin. The exact circumstances of his death remain uncertain.
