So far, we have talked a lot about Alexei Navalny, the rebel oppositionist, but we have hardly talked about the nationalist, xenophobic, exclusionary politician, as he was known to Russians. Russia and the West knew two different Navalnys. According to many, Navalny was both a racist criminal and a political prisoner.
As most Russians know: he is a very unpleasant figure. A xenophobe who parades in Nazi Russian parades rejoices in the war with Georgia, the humiliation of the Georgians. Later, after the occupation of Crimea, he also said that "Crimea is not a sandwich that should be returned to Ukraine."
Alexey Navalny, a lawyer and economist, entered the political scene in 2000. He joins the liberal Yablokó party and creates the Committee for the Defense of Muscovites. He is also running for a seat in the Moscow City Duma. When he was expelled from Yabloko in 2007 for nationalist activities, Navalny co-founded the Russian National Liberation Movement, Narod, which fights against the ruling regime and kleptocracy, but is considered too far-right and anti-immigration.
However, the West knows and admires another Navalny. According to Western public opinion, which ignores the facts, Navalny, who died at the age of 47, is today's Che Guevara, the leader of the Russian youth protest movement, the only real opposition in Russia, and as such, of course, he was an uncompromising fighter against corruption. He was the only Russian politician who dared to openly condemn the full-scale invasion. Moreover, this Navalny has the ideal image of Western politicians: young, handsome, brave, family-oriented.
America threatens Navalny, but the death of its own journalist left it cold
However, this idealized picture was far from the truth
In October 2014, Alexei Navalny gave an interview to Eko Moscow radio station. The interview caused a stir among opposition supporters, primarily because of Navalny's words about Crimea.
To the question, "Is Crimea ours?", the politician answered yes
"Crimea belongs to the people who live on the Crimean peninsula" and that the peninsula was "occupied in flagrant violation of all international norms, but is now part of Russia."
Navalny then advised Ukrainians not to deceive themselves:
"Crimea will remain part of Russia and will never be part of Ukraine in the foreseeable future." "Is Crimea a hot dog sandwich so you can take it back and forth?"
he asks the poetic question.
In an interview with Radio Liberty and the Voice of America in May 2015, the politician said that the peninsula
it cannot be returned to Ukraine with "one click", since "three million Russian citizens live on the peninsula".
