Demise of Navalny strategic loss for Putin, windfall for the West

In the frozen reaches of an Arctic penal colony, the sudden demise of 47-year-old Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny has sent shockwaves across the international stage, further intensifying the already strained relations between Russia and the collective West.

As the West mourns and points fingers, it becomes apparent that Navalny’s death is a complex puzzle, one that doesn’t neatly fit into the narrative of President Vladimir Putin’s interests.

Alexei Navalny, a vocal critic of the current regime in Moscow, was serving a hefty 19-year sentence when news of his death broke. The circumstances surrounding his demise are murky at best, and the implications reach far beyond the prison walls.

The Kremlin has long been accused of suppressing opposition voices, but the sudden exit of Navalny, a thorn in Putin’s side, seems more than coincidental.

At first glance, one might wonder why Vladimir Putin would orchestrate the demise of a prominent opposition figure as the shadow of the upcoming Russian presidential elections looms large.

Add his successful interview with Tucker Carlson, which is highly likely the most watched video of all time on the X platform (formerly Twitter), and this becomes even more suspicious.

A dead Navalny holds less value to the Kremlin than a living one, particularly in the current geopolitical climate.

Navalny’s death, though tragic, appears to be more valuable to the West than he ever was alive, playing a role of a catalyst for the United States agenda toward the Kremlin. A peculiar calculus emerges – a dead Navalny serving as a martyr could galvanize support against Putin, fueling the flames of opposition and influencing the upcoming elections.

The West’s readiness to use Navalny as a pawn