Russian opposition leaders in exile addressed the European Parliament, emphasizing that Russia can only break from Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime if Ukraine is protected from his invasion. The leaders called for increased EU support for Ukraine and collaboration with the Russian opposition.
On Thursday, exiled Russian opposition leaders told the European Parliament that Russia’s path to democracy is dependent on preventing Vladimir Putin’s victory in Ukraine. “If you want to help the democratic movement in Russia, please save Ukraine from Putin!” said opposition politician and former political prisoner Ilya Yashin during a session in Brussels.
Yashin warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine would only strengthen Putin’s regime and increase dangers for Europe. “Putin’s victory in Ukraine would only strengthen his regime, make him more aggressive and angrier,” Yashin stated. “It would create additional danger for Europe … he will not be satisfied with just having Ukraine.”
Yashin appeared alongside Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny, and Russian-British journalist and former political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza. Together, they urged the European Union to offer more support to Ukraine and to deepen cooperation with the Russian opposition.
Relations between Ukraine and the Russian opposition have been strained, with Ukraine previously accusing some opposition figures, including those in Navalny’s circle, of not fully condemning Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, some opposition members have taken clearer stances in favor of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Addressing the European Parliament, Navalnaya said, “Putin puts in prison, tortures, kills political opponents … inflates neighboring countries, commits horrible crimes and walks free.” She questioned why Putin’s activities had not been stopped, stating, “I think it’s because we have not joined our efforts yet.” Navalnaya added that Russian aggression would not stop at Ukraine: “As long as a dictator remains in power, it will never stop.”
Navalnaya was sentenced in absentia by a Russian court in July 2024 for alleged involvement in an “extremist” organization, a charge related to her work with the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which Russian authorities banned in 2021. Navalnaya now lives in exile and faces arrest if she returns to Russia.
Yashin and Kara-Murza were among 16 political prisoners released in a complex exchange arranged by the U.S. administration in August of the previous year. Navalnaya said, “We managed to save 16 innocent victims from Putin’s gulag — two of whom are speaking here today.” She noted that “much of the effort came from the previous U.S. administration,” and added that the current administration has “other priorities.”
Former US President Donald Trump has taken a different approach to Russia than his predecessor. He has blamed Kyiv for starting the war, acknowledged Moscow’s concerns about NATO, suggested the U.S. could recognize Crimea as Russian territory, and called for “resetting” relations with Moscow. On Wednesday, Trump said he had a “good conversation” with Putin but not one that would lead to peace.
Kara-Murza argued that such rhetoric undermines efforts to challenge Putin’s regime. He stated that the world cannot rely on the current US administration to negotiate for the release of Russian political prisoners. “I hope that any politician who wants to shake Putin’s hand understands that that hand is soaked in blood,” Kara-Murza said. He added, “When evil is not publicly condemned, it will return, and this is what happened in Russia in the 1990s. There was never any accountability.”
Navalnaya urged Europe to take on a leadership role in supporting Russian political prisoners: “We need to fill this vacuum,” she said. “And here we have a wonderful opportunity for Europe to show that it can be a leader and can be saving political prisoners from Putin.”
