On Thursday 5 June, Russian opposition figures Yulia Navalnaya, Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin called on the European Union to become more involved in supporting Russian civil society and the democratic opposition.
“We need to start working together, launch small but significant projects, support civil society in Russia and maintain dialogue between Russians who oppose the war and the EU”, summarised Yulia Navalnaya.
Vladimir Kara-Murza felt that dialogue between the EU and the Russian opposition should be “institutionalised”, “perhaps within the framework of a parliamentary agreement”, and that a means of communicating with the Russian people should be found. “We have to be firm with Putin, but the EU must have a dialogue with Russian civil society, which believes in a free, peaceful and European future”, he explained.
Recalling that the exchange of political prisoners last August - which benefited Vladimir Kara-Murza - had been negotiated by the former US administration, Ms Navalnaya said it was not certain that the new US administration would be as committed.
She therefore called on the EU to “fill the void”. “This is an opportunity for Europe to show its commitment to humanitarian values, that Europe can save political prisoners”, she explained, estimating that there are more than 3,000 political prisoners.
Alexei Navalny’s widow also believes that the EU should support the democratic opposition because it is “on it that we will build a free and democratic Russia”. “We need to support these people so they can work together in the future. We can help them by protecting them against pressure from Putin’s regime”, she added.
While the EU announced €5.5 million in support for Radio Free Europe, Ms Navalnaya pleaded for support to independent Russian media, often in exile, rather than “media based in the United States”.
Vladimir Kara-Murza also asked the Europeans to prepare a “roadmap” for the post-Putin era, pointing out that in Russia, political change can happen almost overnight, as was the case with the tsar and communism. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)