Lawfare Archive: Alina Polyakova on the Poisoning of Alexei Navalny
Feb 24, 2024
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The podcast discusses the poisoning of Alexei Navalny by the Putin regime, his recovery, and why Putin chose to attack him. They talk about Navalny becoming a thorn in the side of Putin, the ineffective Russian poisonings, and the international suspicion towards the Russian government.
Navalny utilized social media for anti-corruption activism, gaining significant support.
Kremlin's state-sponsored poisonings reflect incompetence and intent to silence dissenters.
US needs stronger actions and sanctions against Kremlin elites for targeted attacks.
Deep dives
Ruby Frankie's Strict Discipline Empire
Ruby Frankie, a social media star known for her tough mom persona, cultivated a massive following by advocating strict discipline values. However, her empire faced downfall when her 12-year-old son escaped and contacted 911, uncovering allegations of starvation, torture, and emotional abuse against Frankie and her associate, Jody Hildebrandt.
Navalny's Challenges to Putin's Regime
Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian dissident, emerged challenging the Putin regime with anti-corruption activism, despite facing hurdles like political restrictions and smear campaigns. His strategic use of social media platforms like YouTube to expose corruption within Putin's inner circle garnered nationwide support, making him a significant opposition figure within Russia.
Pattern of State-Sponsored Poisonings in Russia
The podcast delves into a pattern of state-sponsored murders and poisonings orchestrated by the Kremlin, targeting opposition figures and dissidents. The recurring theme of poisonings, including the case of Alexei Navalny, suggests a mix of incompetence and intent to send a chilling message to dissenters, utilizing traceable toxins like Novichok to maintain plausible deniability.
US Response to Russian Aggression
The discussion extends to the inadequate responses from the US government towards Russian provocations, emphasizing a pattern of accommodating Russia under the guise of geopolitical strategy. Suggestions for targeted sanctions and stronger actions against Kremlin elites involved in suppression and targeted attacks are proposed as a more robust and necessary approach.
Bipartisan Tolerance of Russian Behavior
The bipartisan nature of tolerating Russian aggression and poisonings is highlighted as a recurring theme in American foreign policy, encompassing various administrations' efforts to engage with Russia for strategic reasons. The failure to deter Russian misconduct, showcased through incidents like the poisoning of opposition figures, underscores a need for a more assertive and unified stance against Kremlin-directed assassinations and human rights violations.
From September 15, 2020: Alexei Navalny is Russia's most prominent dissident, opposition leader, and anti-corruption crusader—and the latest such person to be poisoned by the Vladimir Putin regime, which, of course, it denies. When we recorded this episode, Navalny's condition was improving as he received medical treatment in Germany. To discuss Navalny's career and why Putin chose now to attack him, Benjamin Wittes sat down with Alina Polyakova, President and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis. They talked about how Navalny has become such a thorn in the side of the Putin regime, why Putin keeps poisoning people as opposed to killing them by other means, and why the Russians are so ineffective at poisonings when they undertake them.
