Russian antiwar presidential hopeful Boris Nadezhdin said a “majority” of people in Russia want the conflict with Ukraine to end.
Nadezhdin has criticised Putin, who he has said made a “fatal mistake” by launching the invasion, and has pledged to end it via negotiation.
“[The] official understanding is that all the society is for Putin, for [the] special military operation as we call it, but it’s not so,” he said. “Majority of people in Russia want the conflict in Ukraine to stop.”
Dissenting voices have not been tolerated in Russia and people have been routinely criminalised by strict antidefamation laws that make it illegal to speak negatively about the invasion and the conduct of the military.
Those found guilty of spreading “fake information” about the army could face up to 15 years in prison.
Asked if he was concerned about being penalized under the war censorship laws, Nadezhdin said, “The problem is not if I’m afraid or if I’m not afraid – frankly speaking, I am ready for anything.”
Nadezhdin, a 60-year-old municipal councillor, running on the ticket of the small centre-right Civic Initiative party, has said he collected more than 100,000 signatures across Russia required to register as a candidate for the election to be held on March 15-17.
Putin is almost certain to win re-election to extend his 24-year leadership of Russia, including eight years as prime minister, for at least another six years.
But Nadezhdin is ready for a fight.
He said if the Supreme Court allows him to run then he would have a “very big result and it would be a big problem for our government”.
@FondEqu4lityConstitution4mos4MO
Don’t buy it.
The results are set before the first ballot box is set up and people like Boris Nadezhdin are chosen opponents to slap a veneer of legitimacy on the elections.
Vladimir Putin will have the results he wants and it has no connection to how many people vote or who they vote for. The Russian system is a kleptocratic absolute dictatorship with all scripted shows of support, prosperity, stability and choice.
Mark my words:
Russia will look stable right up to the moment it will collapse from within and it is very likely many Americans in their lifetime will see a 3rd Russian state come into existence.
@VictoriousVotingGreen4mos4MO
Yeah, but will it be any better? Russia has never been a Western nation (despite those charming monarchical ties of the 19th century) and is unlikely to become one in the foreseeable future.
@FreeTradeMartyLibertarian4mos4MO
Better, worse, the same…it’s not going to matter and it’s going to happen anyway because that’s what happens to dictatorships.
They seem strong and stable, but they’re all fragile and weak from within and it’s only a matter of time and circumstance as to when they
@WondrousM0derateRepublican4mos4MO
If the next Dear Leader declares the SMO a mistake and pulls out the Russian troops, that will be enough for the moment. Probably right that Russia will never be a normal country.
The democrats are watching this very closely so they can get some new ideas from Putin on how to stay in power.
I expect they'll do what they did last time when they lost the election. They'll have their partisans invade the US Capitol and scream for years about election fraud so that they can use it as a fundraiser for the loser who tried to delay the peaceful transfer of power.
Oh, wait, that wasn't the Democrats, was it?
@V0t1ngAbigailRepublican4mos4MO
This is a good way for Putin to collect the names of 100,000 people who oppose him across 40 provinces.
@KeenVultureRepublican4mos4MO
He should stay away from windows.
I wonder what type of poison Mr Putin will deploy this time?
@KeenVultureRepublican4mos4MO
@ISIDEWITH4mos4MO
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