Henry Kissinger was my professor at Harvard, back in the early 1960s. The biggest thing I remember from many courses with him was his statement that Americans excel in our capacity for self-criticism, including exploring our weaknesses. What we aren’t good at is assessing the vulnerabilities of our adversaries. 
 
This is a thought that would resonate with <a href="https://www.justsecurity.org/author/arnonatalia/">Natalia Arno</a>, founder of the Free Russia Foundation, an organization that advocates for democracy in Russia. In her view, Putin has an unending collection of weaknesses, and we in the West aren’t giving these weaknesses enough attention. 
 
If you were to talk with her, one of the first points she’d bring up is her view that the West has the false perception that Russians don’t want or deserve democracy. “This is, of course, not true,” she states. “The Putin regime keeps people from expressing their true views, and they do it using fear, propaganda, and jail. I know of a case where a woman made an anti-Putin comment on Facebook and ended up with a 20-year jail sentence.” 
 
In her view, a strong and secure regime doesn’t have to use these techniques. She points out that while under the dictator Stalin there were millions of political prisoners, under Brezhnev or Gorbachev the numbers were smaller, in the dozens. Under Putin, however, the number of political prisoners is in the thousands. In the case of the anti-war protestors, 20,000 were detained and many of them jailed. “You could be jailed,” she asserts, outrage in her voice, “just for putting flowers on the grave of the opposition leader, Navalny.” 
 
She knows of individuals who ended up in jail simply for holding up a copy of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. I asked Arno, “Why would a book by one of Russia’s greatest literary figures land a person in jail?” 
 
Her answer? “The book has the word ‘war’ in it, and just that three letter word can get a 15-year sentence.”
Arno knows that jail time in Russia is far more of a threat than it would be in the West. She’s familiar with the experience of her friend and colleague, politician, journalist, and historian Vladimir Kara-Murza. For criticizing Putin, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
<div id="attachment_730803" style="width: 837px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-730803" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-730803" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2021615163-827x576.jpg" alt="Jailed Russian opposition figure and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is serving a 25-year sentence over charges including treason over criticism of the Ukraine offensive, appears in court with a video link from his prison for a hearing in the case against inaction of the Investigative Committee of Russia on his poisoning, in Moscow on February 22, 2024. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)" width="827" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2021615163-827x576.jpg 827w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2021615163-300x209.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2021615163-768x535.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2021615163.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 827px) 100vw, 827px" />ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images</div>
His time is being spent in a small, dimly lit cell with bare concrete walls. The food is close to inedible. Often, it’s a mound of spoiled cabbage, covered with brown and black spots, and accompanied by a rank, sour, rotten egg smell that comes from bacteria and molds. 
Mr. Kara-Murza was also poisoned twice, in 2015 and in 2017, adding to his ailing health. Worse, he has severe and painful neuropathy that is a death sentence unless he receives treatment. He’s not getting the treatment. 
 
Arno is certain that a strong and popular regime doesn’t need to hold power using this kind of control-by-fear. Other reasons she cites for seeing Putin’s regime as weak include:
<ul>
<li>Foreign investment has fled</li>
<li>The Western technology Russia needs to maintain important industries, such as petroleum, is no longer available</li>
<li>Millions of the best educated Russian workers have left</li>
<li>Of Russia’s 190 ethnic minorities, many know that they are as much as 40 times more likely to die on the Ukraine battlefield than are the ethnic Russians. This breeds rage and incites calls for leaving the Russian Federation</li>
<li>Russia has to invest so much money in repression that the standard of living is low</li>
</ul>
Natalia and the Free Russia Foundation are working to let Russians know there’s an alternative to Putin’s autocratic rule. She and her colleague are using social media, messengers, anti-war coalition efforts, and partisan means like printing out information from the internet and stuffing these leaflets in mailboxes to let Russians know that with democracy, they can have freedom from fear, freedom from war, and prosperity instead of poverty. 
 
“We are not building bridges,” she says. “We are building tunnels.”
 * * * 
 
Mitzi Perdue, Fellow at the Institute of World Politics, is a journalist reporting from and about Ukraine. She has visited multiple times, has many local contacts, and has more than 100 published articles on Ukraine.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

President Putin Attends An Annual Council of Legislators

Putin Has Vast Vulnerabilities: The Free Russia Foundation Wants To Reveal Them To The West.

Alexei Navalny

Henry Kissinger

Opinion

Russia

Vladimir Putin

Former President Donald Trump said during an interview over the weekend that he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin was &#8220;probably&#8221; involved in the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Trump made the remarks during a Sunday interview with Howard Kurtz on Fox News&#8217; &#8220;Media Buzz&#8221; when asked about Navalny&#8217;s mysterious death earlier this year inside a Russian prison.
&#8220;Do you believe Vladimir Putin has some responsibility for the death of Alexei Navalny?&#8221; Kurtz asked Trump.
&#8220;I don’t know, but perhaps I mean, possibly I could say, &#8216;probably&#8217;,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I don’t know. He’s a young man, so statistically he’d be alive for a long time. If you go by the insurance numbers, he’d be alive for another 40 years. So something happened that was unusual.&#8221;
Kurtz noted how the Kremlin was accused of trying to poison Navalny in the past and that when he went back to Russia he was jailed — and following his death, officials would not release the body.
&#8220;How could anything like that happen without Putin and high ranking Kremlin officials sanctioning it?&#8221; Kurtz asked.
&#8220;Well, I don’t know, you certainly can’t say for sure, but certainly that would look like something very bad happened, right?&#8221; Trump responded.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Trump asked if he believes Putin is involved in the death of Navalny:
&#8220;Possibly. I could say probably. I don&#8217;t know. He&#8217;s a young man so statistically he&#8217;d be alive for a long time.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/md2FWUQt4v">pic.twitter.com/md2FWUQt4v</a>
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1769403215907373087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a></blockquote>

Former President Donald Trump Speaks At Mar-a-Lago In Florida

Trump: Putin ‘Probably’ Involved In Navalny’s Death

Donald Trump

Fox News

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was murdered after negotiations reached final stages on a prisoner swap that would have secured his release, the chair of his Anti-Corruption Foundation said.
Foundation chair Maria Pevchikh said in a video released Monday that she and other Navalny allies worked for two years to negotiate a prisoner swap in which Navalny and two Americans were to be released from Russia. In exchange, Germany would release Vadim Krasikov, a former KGB officer who became leader of the agency after it became the Federal Security Service, or FSB.
“In early February, Putin was offered to swap the FSB killer, Vadim Krasikov, who is serving time for murder in Berlin, for two American citizens and Alexei Navalny. I received confirmation that negotiations were at the final stage on the evening of February 15th. On February 16th, Alexei was killed,” Pevchikh said.
Pevchikh did not say which Americans were supposed to be part of the prisoner swap. Reports have <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/putin-wants-his-hit-man-back-5bd759f8">indicated</a> that imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, two of Russia’s most high-profile American prisoners, were to be included in the swap.
Krasikov is currently serving a life sentence in a Berlin jail for the murder of Zemlikhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen insurgent who is alleged by Moscow to have led an attack against Russia in 2004. Krasikov fatally shot Khangoshvili in 2019 in the middle of a children&#8217;s playground at lunchtime.
Pevchikh said that efforts to free Navalny began after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
“After the start of the war, it became obvious that Navalny had to be gotten out of prison at any cost, urgently. We, as his team, could not but work on this, and we did,” she said. “The task initially seemed impossible. Alexei is a Russian citizen, a Russian politician, he is not entitled to any exchange, foreign states are not obliged to protect his rights. But two years ago, a solution was devised that could work. A humanitarian exchange. Russian spies in exchange for political prisoners.”
The effort to free Navalny ran into headwinds dealing with foreign officials and misunderstandings, lengthening a process that should have taken “months” to two years, according to Pevchikh.
Eventually, an agreement was reached, but then Navalny died in the Serbian prison where he was being held. Pevchikh said that Putin had Navalny killed because the Russian dictator did not want to free Navalny, and calculated he could free Krasikov through other means now that Western leaders had shown a willingness to hand the former FSB head back to Russia.
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“Putin was clearly told that the only way to get Krasikov is to exchange him for Navalny. ‘Hold on,’ thought Putin. ‘I can’t tolerate Navalny being free. And since they were willing to exchange Krasikov on principle, then I just need to get rid of the bargaining chip. Then offer someone else when the time comes,’” Pevchikh said.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Почему Путин убил Навального сейчас?" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jqevNxQ2T8Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Ally Says Navalny Was Murdered As Prisoner Swap Including Americans Was Finalized

Aide Says Navalny Was Murdered As Prisoner Swap Including Americans Was Finalized

Global Politics

Politics

United States

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden’s</a> fresh round of sanctions against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> in retaliation for Alexei Navalny’s death appear to be more symbolic than consequential.
The Treasury Department announced more than 500 new sanctions largely against Russia’s financial and military sectors on Friday. The round of sanctions are the most at one time since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago.
Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s chief critic in Russia, was arrested and imprisoned in a Siberian penile colony in 2021. The prison announced last week that Navalny had died. The announcement drew condemnation from Western leaders and deep suspicions that Navalny’s death was ordered by Putin.
Biden said in 2021 that he warned Putin in the eventuality of Navalny’s death that the repercussions would be “devastating for Russia.” The new round of sanctions is unlikely to have any significant impact, however, according to experts and officials who spoke to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/bidens-promised-devastating-response-to-navalny-death-is-largely-symbolic-47675f1c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
“On the one hand, this next turn of the crank is inevitable because the U.S. needs to take concrete steps to respond to Navalny’s death,” Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Charles Kupchan told WSJ. “On the other hand, it’s quite clear at this stage that the sanctions package against Russia has fallen far short of expectations.”
This round of sanctions is likely to be “more symbolic than it is impactful,” Kupchan said.
The initial tranche of sanctions issued after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saw the Russian economy constrict. Shortly after, Russia’s economy regained its footing, however. Russian businesses and industry after a momentary shock as the sanctions set in found new supply chains and buyers, especially through China, as well as loopholes that allowed their products to get into Western markets.
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The latest round of sanctions will impact some of those loopholes, though the overall impact to Russia will be minimal, according to WSJ.
The Biden administration championed the sanctions and said that the economic pressure on Russia is having an impact.
“Russia’s economy and military-industrial base are showing clear signs of weakness in part due to the actions we, along with our partners and allies around the world, have taken to support Ukraine’s brave defense,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/23/business/us-sanctions-russia.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>. “Putin has mortgaged the present and future of the Russian people for his own aims to subjugate Ukraine.”
The fresh round of sanctions comes amid a new push from Russia against Ukraine, which is running low on arms as the U.S. debates another round of aid. Aid to Ukraine has become increasingly controversial in the U.S. as questions have arisen over how aid is spent and where the war will end.

President Biden Welcomes Governors To The White House During The National Governors Association Winter Meeting

Biden’s New Sanctions Against Russia Fall ‘Far Short Of Expectations,’ Expert Says

Joe Biden

Ukraine-Russia War

World

The $350 million verdict against Donald Trump in the New York civil fraud trial is a “form of Navalny,” according to the former president. 
Trump discussed the recent death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny during a town hall event with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Tuesday night, where he compared Navalny’s death in a Russian prison last week to the multiple civil and criminal trials he faces. 
“Navalny is a very sad situation and he’s very brave, he was a very brave guy,” Trump <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-navalny-russia-putin-2024-indictments-71513abe8f128ab885d9d2382f92e9d6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “He went back, he could have stayed away, and frankly probably would have been a lot better off staying away and talking from outside of the country as opposed to having to go back in, because people thought that could happen, and it did happen.”
The leading Republican presidential candidate then said what happened to Navalny is “happening in our country too,” adding that the U.S. is “turning into a communist country in many ways.”
“I’m the leading candidate, and I got indicted four times … I have eight or nine trials all because of the fact that I’m in politics,” he said. “They indicted me with things that are so ridiculous.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump on the death of Alexei Navalny:
&quot;It&#39;s happening in our country too.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/w4sssKuN6J">pic.twitter.com/w4sssKuN6J</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1760100523896607009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“It is a form of Navalny,” Trump added. “It is a form of communism, of fascism.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump says it is “a form of Navalny” when asked about how he was going to pay the nearly $355 million he and his companies were ordered to pay in his New York civil fraud trial. <a href="https://t.co/XkBmGuQoif">pic.twitter.com/XkBmGuQoif</a>
&mdash; Kate Sullivan (@KateSullivanDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/KateSullivanDC/status/1760106183761760530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Last week, Judge Arthur Engoron <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-fined-350-million-in-civil-business-fraud-trial-banned-from-doing-business-in-ny-for-3-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> Trump and his organization to pay more than $350 million and banned him from running his businesses in the state for three years. The civil fraud trial started after New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump, alleging that he inflated his net worth and misled lenders. The verdict came down a month after a New York jury ordered Trump to pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83 million in a defamation case. 
Trump also faces four criminal trials in connection to his handling of classified documents after leaving office and his challenging of the 2020 election results.
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The former president compared Navalny’s death to his trials just a day after he was criticized for his first public <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-alexei-navalnys-death-made-him-more-aware-of-what-is-happening-in-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s harshest critic. In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump wrote, “The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country.”
“It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction,” Trump continued. “Open Borders, Rigged Elections, and Grossly Unfair Courtroom Decisions are DESTROYING AMERICA. WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE, A FAILING NATION! MAGA2024.”
Trump’s GOP rival Nikki Haley <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nikki-haley-hits-trump-over-his-response-to-alexei-navalnys-death" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed</a> the former president over his statement on Navalny, saying it appeared to come out of the “liberals’ playbook.”
“Donald Trump could have condemned Vladimir Putin for being a murderous thug. Trump could have praised Navalny’s courage. Instead, he stole a page from liberals’ playbook, denouncing America and comparing our country to Russia,” Haley said. 
Navalny’s death was immediately viewed as suspicious by the White House, and President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-condemns-putin-for-death-of-navalny-putin-is-responsible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press conference hours after initial reports that “Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death.” 
Trump made no mention of Putin in his initial statement on Truth Social nor in his answer to Ingraham’s question about Navalny on Tuesday night.

Trump Says His NY Civil Fraud Trial Verdict ‘Is A Form Of Navalny’

Trump Says His NY Civil Fraud Trial Verdict 'Is A Form Of Navalny'

Elections

Laura Ingraham

The White House will unveil a &#8220;major sanctions package&#8221; against Russia on Friday in response to the death of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-condemns-putin-for-death-of-navalny-putin-is-responsible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposition leader Alexei Navalny</a>, according to President Joe Biden&#8217;s national security team.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, told reporters about the plan on Tuesday, noting that Russia&#8217;s war in Ukraine is also a factor in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-pledges-more-sanctions-against-russia-over-war-in-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new round of penalties</a>.
&#8220;We will be announcing a major sanctions package on Friday of this week to hold Russia accountable for what happened to Mr. Navalny and quite frankly for all its actions over the course of this vicious and brutal war that has now raged on for two years,&#8221; Kirby said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Kirby: New sanctions on Russia, after death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny <a href="https://t.co/cWd1dsXp2V">pic.twitter.com/cWd1dsXp2V</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1759981215367451108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Russian authorities said last week that Navalny <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russian-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-dies-in-remote-arctic-prison-authorities-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died at the age of 47</a> in an Arctic penal colony after he started to feel ill and lost consciousness. Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/02/16/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-reported-death-of-aleksey-navalny/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delivered</a> remarks on Friday in which he said Russian President Vladimir Putin was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-condemns-putin-for-death-of-navalny-putin-is-responsible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;responsible&#8221;</a> for the death of Navalny, who supporters insist was imprisoned on <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-navalny-death-global-reactions-putin-19e7fd6318763627f6917a92678cd190" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trumped-up charges</a>. Navalny&#8217;s family is now engaged in a clash with Russia to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/20/navalny-mother-body-putin-plea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secure the release</a> of his body.
Navalny&#8217;s death happened after the Democrat-led Senate passed a roughly <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1755287316799561872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$95 billion</a> foreign aid package that would dedicate another $60 million to Ukraine as it fights Russia. The GOP-controlled House has not taken up the bill, but the White House is pushing lawmakers to get it passed.
&#8220;One of the most powerful things that we can do right now to stand up to [Russian leader] Vladimir Putin of course is to again pass the bipartisan national security supplemental bill and support Ukraine as they continue to fight bravely in defense of their country,&#8221; Kirby said.
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House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-rips-senate-foreign-aid-package-for-lacking-real-border-security-provisions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> the foreign aid package for a dearth of border security policy changes. Biden told reporters on Monday that he would be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-open-to-meeting-with-speaker-johnson-on-foreign-aid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open to meeting</a> with Johnson to discuss the matter, after which the speaker&#8217;s team said they looked forward to the White House communicating when the president will be available.
Biden also <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1759614523856539754" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> a reporter&#8217;s question asking if he would go as far as to say Navalny&#8217;s &#8220;blood is on the hands&#8221; of Republicans in the House, countering with, &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t use that term, but they&#8217;re making a big mistake not responding.&#8221;

US National Security Council (NSC) spokesman John Kirby

White House Teases ‘Major Sanctions Package’ Against Russia In Response To Navalny’s Death

White House Teases 'Major Sanctions Package' Against Russia In Response To Navalny's Death

Sanctions

White House

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley criticized former President Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-alexei-navalnys-death-made-him-more-aware-of-what-is-happening-in-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">response</a> on Monday to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russian-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-dies-in-remote-arctic-prison-authorities-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sudden death</a> last week.
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111958285847100029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on Truth Social that Navalny&#8217;s death made him &#8220;more aware of what is happening&#8221; in the U.S., pointing to &#8220;open borders, rigged elections, and grossly unfair courtroom decisions.&#8221; Haley, who is trailing far behind the former president in the Republican presidential primary, said Trump&#8217;s response appeared to come out of the &#8220;liberals’ playbook.&#8221;
&#8220;Donald Trump could have condemned Vladimir Putin for being a murderous thug. Trump could have praised Navalny’s courage. Instead, he stole a page from liberals’ playbook, denouncing America and comparing our country to Russia,&#8221; the former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. wrote on X alongside a screenshot of Trump&#8217;s Truth Social post.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Donald Trump could have condemned Vladimir Putin for being a murderous thug.
Trump could have praised Navalny’s courage.
Instead, he stole a page from liberals’ playbook, denouncing America and comparing our country to Russia. <a href="https://t.co/CxAOGwIQEN">pic.twitter.com/CxAOGwIQEN</a>
&mdash; Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1759598151034368289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Before Trump issued his statement on Navalny, Haley slammed her Republican rival for his silence on the reports of the death of the 47-year-old critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. She also accused Trump of &#8220;encouraging&#8221; Putin to invade NATO countries after Trump <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/10/politics/trump-russia-nato/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> last week that he &#8220;would not protect&#8221; NATO allies who don&#8217;t pay their fair share if they were invaded by Russia, adding that he once told a NATO leader he would &#8220;encourage [Russia] to do whatever the hell they want.&#8221;
&#8220;One week ago, Donald Trump encouraged Putin to invade NATO countries. Now, it’s been more than 24 hours since we learned of the death of Alexei Navalny, and Trump has yet to say his name,&#8221; Haley <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1758948217729790022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> last week. &#8220;We cannot have a president who sides with murderous thugs who want to destroy America.&#8221;
Haley also <a href="https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1758682348000780629" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> CNN on Friday, telling anchor Kaitlan Collins it&#8217;s &#8220;a problem&#8221; that Trump &#8220;can&#8217;t call out a dictator,&#8221; referring to Putin.
Navalny, a critic of Putin, died in a remote Russian prison on Friday after losing consciousness following a walk, according to Russian authorities. Navalny&#8217;s death was immediately viewed as suspicious by U.S. leaders since the opposition leader previously said he was poisoned by Russia in 202o. The U.S. determined in 2021 that the Russian government used a chemical weapon against him.
Throughout his time behind bars, Navalny held that his charges and convictions were politically motivated. He also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/putin-critic-alexei-navalny-says-health-is-worsening-in-prison?%3Futm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=cnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complained</a> in a letter sent in 2021 that his health was worsening in prison, and he was not receiving adequate medical care.
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Trump’s statement — which made no mention of Putin — came days after U.S. leaders, including President Joe Biden, blamed the Russian leader for Navalny’s death.
“Russian authorities are going to tell their own story. But make no mistake, make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death. Putin is responsible,” Biden said in a Friday press conference. “What has happened to Navalny is yet more proof of Putin’s brutality. No one should be fooled — not in Russia, not at home, not anywhere in the world — Putin does not only target citizens of other countries … He also inflicts terrible crimes of his own people.”

Nikki Haley

Nikki Haley Hits Trump Over His Response To Alexei Navalny’s Death

Nikki Haley Hits Trump Over His Response To Alexei Navalny's Death

2024 Election

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> addressed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny&#8217;s sudden death in a Truth Social post on Monday, saying that it has opened his eyes to &#8220;what is happening&#8221; in the U.S.
Navalny, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russian-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-dies-in-remote-arctic-prison-authorities-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> in a remote Russian prison on Friday after losing consciousness following a walk, according to Russian authorities. Navalny <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-loosely-warns-of-consequences-for-russia-if-navalny-dies-in-prison-as-gop-lawmakers-press-for-more-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had been sentenced</a> to prison in January 2021 after returning to Moscow from Germany, where he was undergoing treatment for poisoning from a nerve agent that he blamed on the Kremlin.
<iframe class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/111958285847100029/embed" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><script src="https://truthsocial.com/embed.js" async="async"></script>
&#8220;The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111958285847100029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in his first public comments on Navalny&#8217;s death. &#8220;It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction. Open Borders, Rigged Elections, and Grossly Unfair Courtroom Decisions are DESTROYING AMERICA. WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE, A FAILING NATION! MAGA2024.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s statement — which made no mention of Putin — comes days after U.S. leaders, including President Joe Biden, blamed the Russian leader for Navalny&#8217;s death.
“Russian authorities are going to tell their own story. But make no mistake, make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death. Putin is responsible,” Biden said in a Friday press conference. “What has happened to Navalny is yet more proof of Putin’s brutality. No one should be fooled — not in Russia, not at home, not anywhere in the world — Putin does not only target citizens of other countries … He also inflicts terrible crimes of his own people.”
Shortly after Navalny&#8217;s imprisonment in 2021, the U.S. determined in March 2021 that the Russian government used a chemical weapon against him. Throughout his time behind bars, Navalny held that his charges and convictions were politically motivated. He also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/putin-critic-alexei-navalny-says-health-is-worsening-in-prison?%3Futm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=cnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complained</a> in a letter sent in 2021 that his health was worsening in prison, and he was not receiving adequate medical care.
Trump&#8217;s comments on Navalny&#8217;s death follow Judge Arthur Engoron&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-fires-back-after-judge-orders-him-to-pay-350-million" target="_blank" rel="noopener">verdict</a> in Trump&#8217;s New York civil business fraud trial ordering the former president to pay more than $350 million. Engeron also banned Trump from being able to hold any high-level positions in any company in the state of New York for three years. The civil business fraud trial verdict is on top of four criminal cases against Trump and attempts from states to remove the leading Republican presidential candidate from the ballot.
Trump followed up his statement on Navalny with a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111959094480823995" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Truth Social calling for the criminal cases against him to be stopped.
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&#8220;ALL POLITICAL PROSECUTIONS OF YOUR FAVORITE PRESIDENT, ME, MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ELECTION, PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, AND THESE RADICAL LEFT LUNATIC PROSECUTORS AND JUDGES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE DOING THIS. WHY DIDN’T THEY START THREE YEARS AGO??? BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO INTERFERE WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2024, THAT’S WHY!&#8221;

Trump Says Alexei Navalny’s Death Made Him ‘More Aware Of What Is Happening’ In U.S.

Trump Says Alexei Navalny's Death Made Him 'More Aware Of What Is Happening' In U.S.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley attacked former President Donald Trump during an interview late this week over recent remarks that he made about Russia and over his this week&#8217;s bombshell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-fined-350-million-in-civil-business-fraud-trial-banned-from-doing-business-in-ny-for-3-years">ruling</a> that he must pay more than $350 million in a civil business fraud case.
Haley, who is polling nearly 60 points behind Trump in the latest RealClearPolitics average, made the remarks during a Friday interview with CNN&#8217;s Kaitlan Collins on &#8220;The Source.&#8221;
Collins started by asking Haley if she blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny earlier this week.
&#8220;Absolutely. I mean, all you have to do is look at his track record. I mean, this is a man who&#8217;s known to kill his political opponents,&#8221; Haley said, later adding: &#8220;And honestly, that&#8217;s what was so disturbing about what Donald Trump said in his rally in Conway, South Carolina, a week ago, was that he said that he would side with Putin and not defend NATO allies if they weren&#8217;t pulling their weight.&#8221;
&#8220;That means Donald Trump is siding with a thug, who kills his political opponents,&#8221; she said. &#8220;He&#8217;s siding with someone, who has made no bones about wanting to destroy America. He&#8217;s siding with someone who arrests American journalists and holds them hostage. And he&#8217;s siding with a dictator instead of siding with our allies who stood with us at 9/11. It&#8217;s the problem.&#8221;
Collins later asked Haley about the ruling by a judge in New York on Friday that Trump must pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and is barred from running any business in the state for three years.
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&#8220;I mean, my biggest issue is, I don&#8217;t want the RNC to become his legal defense fund. I don&#8217;t want the RNC to become his piggy bank for his personal court cases,&#8221; Haley said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve already seen him spend $50 million worth of campaign contributions towards his personal court cases. Now, we see him trying to get control of the RNC so that he can continue not to have to pay his own legal fees.&#8221;
&#8220;The problem is that doesn&#8217;t help us win any seats in the House, in the Senate or anything else, if the RNC is all focused on his legal fees. The RNC&#8217;s practically broke now as it is. And so, this is a bigger issue for the Republican Party,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;But what I am most concerned about is now he&#8217;s gone and taken someone, from North Carolina. He&#8217;s made the co-chair, his daughter-in-law. He&#8217;s made his campaign manager, the Director of Operations. He&#8217;s trying to control the RNC after the fact that he tried to get me out of the race so that he could be the presumptive nominee.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Nikki Haley Criticizes Trump Over Russia, Losing In Civil Fraud Case

The Russian government arrested hundreds of people on Friday who had gathered at various tributes across the country for deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Navalny, a frequent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was in prison after being convicted on charges of “extremism” and sentenced to 19 years. Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service said that Navalny felt sick after going on a walk, and soon after, lost consciousness and died.
Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/over-110-people-detained-across-russia-rallies-memory-navalny-rights-group-2024-02-17/">reported</a> that at least 340 people were arrested in dozens of cities across the country after they lit candles, sang hymns, and visited with each other. OVD-Info, which reports on freedom of assembly in Russia, said that the true number of those arrested could be far higher.
&#8220;In each police department there may be more detainees than in the published lists,&#8221; OVD-Info said. &#8220;We publish only the names of those people about whom we have reliable knowledge and whose names we can publish.&#8221;
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Hundreds of mourners across Russia turned out to pay their respects to Alexei Navalny. His supporters have been warned by authorities not to join public protests over his death.<a href="https://t.co/NAIMdevnxW">https://t.co/NAIMdevnxW</a> <a href="https://t.co/h4Hvjl0V5i">pic.twitter.com/h4Hvjl0V5i</a>
&mdash; Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1758672616209145931?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Moscow Times reported that the Russian government also arrested a priest in St. Petersburg after he announced that he would hold a memorial for Navalny.
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The Russian priest is now behind bars <a href="https://t.co/q4CgArWYnF">pic.twitter.com/q4CgArWYnF</a>
&mdash; Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) <a href="https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1758817877149311245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Navalny had been sentenced to prison in 2021 after returning to Moscow from Germany, where he was undergoing treatment for poisoning from a nerve agent that was blamed on the Kremlin. The Kremlin has denied any responsibility for his poisoning, but United States intelligence officials have said they believe Russia was responsible.
Navalny frequently faced criminal charges during his career in Russian politics, which he said were motivated because of his opposition to Putin. Navalny founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was dissolved in Russia in 2021, to expose corruption by high-ranking Russian officials and challenge the United Russia Party’s control over the country’s political system.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

RUSSIA-POLITICS-NAVALNY-TRIBUTE

WATCH: Russia Arrests Hundreds, Including Priest, For Honoring Alexei Navalny Following Death

U.S. Senators stood in solidarity on Friday in condemning Russian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vladimir Putin</a> for the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a remote Arctic prison.
Navalny, a frequent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was in prison after being convicted on charges of “extremism” and sentenced to 19 years. Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service said that Navalny felt sick after going on a walk, and soon after, lost consciousness and died.
Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) posted on X: &#8220;Putin’s regime is pure evil. Putin’s cronies murdered Alexei Navalny for having the courage to stand up for freedom.&#8221;
&#8220;The death of Alexei Navalny is yet another heartbreaking reminder of who Vladimir Putin is: a bloodthirsty tyrant who thinks he can get away with anything,&#8221; said Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA). &#8220;It&#8217;s another reason why we must continue to stand with the cause of freedom in opposition to Putin&#8217;s brutality.&#8221;
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) wrote: &#8220;Alexei Navalny died as he lived: a champion of the Russian people and a brave voice of dissent in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. President Biden pledged &#8216;devastating&#8217; consequences should Navalny die in prison; now he must follow through. America can’t afford another erased red line.&#8221;
“Putin is a bully and attempting to send a chilling effect to his opponents and the world. His aggression stems from a simple fact: he is paranoid and a coward,&#8221; said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). &#8220;This announcement comes as world leaders are convening today to discuss how to confront Russia. Putin has proven he will stop at nothing to silence opposition voices. We will not be deterred from our commitments and if anything, this murderous regime strengthens our resolve. We will not stop calling for the release of Vladimir Kara-Murza and others still falsely imprisoned.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) posted on X: &#8220;I urge all elected officials/political leaders to denounce Putin’s killing of a political foe. It’s contrary to what America stands for FREEDOM we ought to be unified against Putin &amp; his cronies&#8221;
Navalny had been sentenced to prison in 2021 after returning to Moscow from Germany, where he was undergoing treatment for poisoning from a nerve agent that was blamed on the Kremlin. The Kremlin has denied any responsibility for his poisoning, but United States intelligence officials have said they believe Russia was responsible.
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Navalny frequently faced criminal charges during his career in Russian politics, which he said were motivated because of his opposition to Putin. Navalny founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was dissolved in Russia in 2021, to expose corruption by high-ranking Russian officials and challenge the United Russia Party’s control over the country’s political system.
Other responses from U.S. Senators included:
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I’m saddened to see reports of Alexei Navalny’s death. He was a tireless fighter for freedom and democracy in Russia. 
His death is a reminder of the true nature of the Putin regime.
&mdash; Senator Deb Fischer (@SenatorFischer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorFischer/status/1758488605633221052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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For years Alexei Navalny stood up to Putin’s regime with courage &amp; defiance. He paid for it with his life.
Navalny’s death is a tragic reminder of the depths to which Putin will go to silence his critics — but Putin will learn that you can’t kill the hunger &amp; quest for freedom. <a href="https://t.co/ZU3BxGyq47">https://t.co/ZU3BxGyq47</a>
&mdash; Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisVanHollen/status/1758511820640276700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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There is a pattern whereby dictators—be they Putin, Ortega, or Maduro—eliminate their opposition. Although they try to present themselves as reasonable to the West, eliminating political opponents reveals their true colors. Navalny’s death is the latest example.
&mdash; U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBillCassidy/status/1758517394253762568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Alexei Navalny was a warrior for democracy and transparency against a murderous dictator. We can all learn from his bravery.   His death is a stark reminder of our obligation to stop Putin and stand up for democratic values and freedom.
&mdash; Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBobCasey/status/1758533566432940398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Make no mistake — Putin removes his opposition because he fears them.
Alexei Navalny spoke up for freedom.
In Navalny’s death, Putin has immortalized one of his staunchest critics.
&mdash; Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJoniErnst/status/1758541343180066923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The death of Alexei Navalny is another reminder of the brutality and evil nature of Vladimir Putin’s regime. His death must not dim the hopes of millions of Russians who yearn for freedom.
&mdash; Senator Ted Budd (@SenTedBuddNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTedBuddNC/status/1758564265433121070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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RELEASE: Sen. Cruz Issues Statement After Russian Regime Announces Death of Dissident Alexei Navalny<a href="https://t.co/4nX7xDKbG1">https://t.co/4nX7xDKbG1</a> <a href="https://t.co/lRnIm77U3t">pic.twitter.com/lRnIm77U3t</a>
&mdash; Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz/status/1758583554156453930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Navalny laid down his life fighting for the freedom of the country he loved. Putin is a murderous, paranoid dictator. History will not be kind to those in America who make apologies for Putin and praise Russian autocracy. Nor will history be kind to America’s leaders who stay… <a href="https://t.co/wKnOIcrEi3">https://t.co/wKnOIcrEi3</a>
&mdash; Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenThomTillis/status/1758490601614405797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Moving to hear from Yulia Navalnaya just moments after she and the world learned of her husband’s death in a Russian prison. 
As she reminded global leaders, we need to hold Putin to account and counter authoritarianism in Russia and beyond. <a href="https://t.co/JIvWdUvu3j">pic.twitter.com/JIvWdUvu3j</a>
&mdash; Senator Brian Schatz (@SenBrianSchatz) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBrianSchatz/status/1758499359539220818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Demonstration for the release of arrested activists in previous riots in Moscow

U.S. Senators Overwhelmingly Condemn Putin For Navalny’s Death

U.S. Senators Overwhelmingly Condemn Putin For Navalny's Death

U.S. Senate

Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro spoke on “The Ben Shapiro Show” on Friday regarding the death of the leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny, 47, who was reported dead in prison.
Navalny had been sentenced on a bunch of trumped-up charges to a penal colony, Shapiro noted.  Navalny had flown to Germany to seek treatment after falling ill on a flight inside Russia. Doctors concluded that he had been poisoned with a nerve agent called Novichok. When Navalny returned to Russia in 2021, he was immediately arrested by Vladimir Putin&#8217;s team, sentenced, and moved to a remote Arctic prison but no one knew where he was.
“For literally weeks they shuttled him around so that nobody could find out where he was,” Shapiro noted. “And then finally he released a message saying that he was in a place that was extremely cold, far in the north, where all he could see were some dogs and some snow.”
Shapiro showed footage of Navalny from Thursday in a court appearance. “As you can see, he looks alive and well,” he commented. “He looks skinny, obviously, but this does not look like somebody who is on the verge of death.”
<div>
According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/alexei-navalny-dead-prison-putin-critic-d58db496">The Wall Street Journal</a>:
</div>
<div>
<blockquote>Navalny’s death eliminates the last real political opposition that still remained inside Russia following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, his crackdown on freedom of speech and the passage of increasingly draconian laws aimed at stamping out any dissent. &#8230; Navalny’s time in jail reflected the worst excesses of a judicial and prison system that has increasingly been used to punish Putin’s political opponents. &#8230; Navalny had suffered continuously, at times from sleep deprivation when he was woken up every hour at night by guards. He was sent into solitary confinement 27 times, rights groups said, at times for minor infractions such as a missed button on his prison uniform.</blockquote>
</div>
“Everyone suspects Putin because —  as people get ‘suicided’ regularly and ‘death by natural causes’ seems to happen regularly if they are opponents of Vladimir Putin — that the Putin regime had finally had enough of Alexei Navalny and they felt the threat from the outside or from Navalny or from maybe the inside of Russia and so it was just a convenient time to get rid of Alexei Navalny,” Shapiro said.
In 2020, Navalny did an interview on 60 Minutes talking about his poisoning on a flight from Moscow to Siberia, where he&#8217;d been campaigning against Putin&#8217;s party in a local election when he collapsed with no pain but knowing he was dying.
Shapiro posited that Putin might want to poison Alexei Navalny because, among other things, Navalny had obtained incriminating internal financial documents related to high-level Russian officials and posted them on a blog.
Navalny said on 60 Minutes, “And it&#8217;s something very special about Mr. Putin that he&#8217;s crazy about money, personal money, about his family being rich, his friends, like all his people who served with him, with them in the KGB, all of them, they are billionaires. That&#8217;s why fighting corruption means for him that he&#8217;s fighting me.”
“And now he has fought him to the point where Navalny is dead,” Shapiro noted. “The reality is that Vladimir Putin is a vicious dictator who kills his political opponents. The list is as long as your arm of people that Vladimir Putin has killed, ranging from journalists to fellow oligarchs to dissidents who have challenged him in any sort of way at home and abroad; he has had people killed well outside the borders of Russia.”

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