Yulia Navalnaya says she’s prepared to run for presidency if she’s able to return to Russia in future

Source: Meduza

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, is prepared to run for president of Russia if she ever returns to the country, she told BBC News Russian in an interview published Monday.

As long as Vladimir Putin remains in power, however, her return is “unfortunately impossible,” she said. She pointed out that she was unable to travel to Russia even for her husband’s funeral for fear of arrest.

The Russian authorities have accused Yulia Navalnaya of participating in an “extremist organization” as part of a case initiated against Alexey Navalny and his associates in September 2021. In July 2024, a Moscow court issued an arrest warrant for Navalnaya.