Yulia Navalnaya, wife of Alexei Navalny, faces challenges in forming an anti-Putin coalition due to differing views on Ukraine. Her potential actions related to Ukraine, such as protesting Russia's war or supporting Ukraine, are met with skepticism in Ukraine. Navalny's past views on Crimea have also caused tensions.
The fact that the White House wanted to pair First Lady Olena Zelenska with Yulia Navalnaya at the State of the Union (according to WP) shows that two years in, they still don’t understand Ukraine.
Dr. Biden invited Zelensky’s wife to sit next to Navalny’s widow at the SOTU - she refused. What few Americans know is that Navalny supported Russia’s invasion of Crimea and Russian imperialism in general. Ukrainians hated him - perhaps enough to assassinate him. https://t.co/7VkMPVUjkz
I guess they didn’t realize Navalny’s longstanding views on Crimea wouldn’t make Ukraine terribly happy https://t.co/QTqpVS1Pet
Yulia Navalnaya is aware: not all of her followers support Ukraine. That's why she is facing own difficult decisions for creating the anti-Putin coalition from ideologically diverse forces. Kyiv would love to see her calling on Russian troops to leave the frontlines in Ukraine.
If Navalnaya were to protest Russia’s war in Ukraine, witness the war crimes in Bucha committed by Russian army, or even perform one small act of solidarity like many genuine supporters of Ukraine have done, she won’t probably be “viewed with some skepticism in Ukraine”. https://t.co/qKkJFndpJk