Who is Alexei Navalny, and why is it leading to US sanctions on Russia?

Currently, Russia is experiencing one of their most significant changes in the Russian Federations history. Protests have erupted over the Leader of the opposition, Alexei Navalny’s arrest following his return from Germany. To fully comprehend the reasons for the strife being brewed right now, between the Russian people, and their authority, you have to understand who Alexei Navelny is. Alexei Navalny was born on June 4, 1976, and has consistently promoted a more free Russia, but he has never made such an impact, until 2015. In 2015 at the height of the financial crisis in Russia in 2014–2015 which was likely the result of the sharp devaluation of the Russian ruble beginning in the second half of 2014, Navalny began making videos about the crisis, as well as possible solutions. This gained him popularity, and allowed him to continue promoting his pro-democracy ideologies on a much greater scale. Here’s where the problems arise. Vladimir Putin, the ‘’President’’ of Russia, is held up by an oligarchical group of wealthy businessman and politicians who use their money and influence to rig elections and keep Putin in power. But they only do this, in an attempt to keep THEIR power. They keep him in office, and he re leaves them of financial burdens by the government. They keep him as President, and he gives them tax cuts. It is essentially a corrupt ring of wealthy men, who support Putin, but the moment those few people turn on Putin, he is done, and he knows this. Putin is well aware of his lack of support from the people, and he knows that if he loses the support of the tens of wealthy men who are allowing him to maintain power, if they start to doubt him ,he will fall, and that is the last thing in the world, Putin wants. Unfortunately, Alexei Navalny is an animated character, who has legitimate influence amongst Russian citizens, and often, business’s thrive under a supportive population, and if these oligarchs support Navalny, and Navalny supports them back, they can succeed, and that is one of Vladimir Putin’s greatest fears. Thus, Putin has always had a distaste for Navalny, but that distaste grew into major hatred. On the 26th of June 2012, it was announced that Navalny’s comrades would establish a new political party, and in 2016 that Party made it big. On the 1st February, the party held a convention, where Navalny stated the party was preparing for the 2016 elections, declaring the party would maintain its activity across Russia, saying, “We are unabashed to work in remote lands where the opposition does not work. We can even [work] in Crimea”. Of course, Putin likely told the courts to block their election registration, which they did for ‘’bogus’’ reasons that dont align with the courts actual policies. Finally, in 2018, Alexei Navalny ran for President. He was officially challenging Putin’s positions as head of state, and this infuriated Putin. It was no longer Putin’s paranoia that felt as if Navalny was going after his seat, he now saw it. It was now reality. Putin began a secretive task force to monitor Navalny, to make sure he doesn’t gain power, and make sure, most importantly, he doesn’t get to the oligarchs holding Putin up. Navalny obviously lost, probably due to alleged voter fraud. In May 2012, Navalny accused Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov of corruption, stating that companies owned by Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov had transferred tens of millions of dollars to Shuvalov’s company. This exposure was an accurate depiction of what was occurring with Putin, and Vlad was furious! This was the last straw, Navalny extensively reviewed how Putin is held up by these oligarchs, and this spurred doubt in Putin by his fellow oligarchs. This was the largest threat to Putin’s power ever, and Putin felt it was time to resort to violence. On August 20th, 2020, Navalny fell ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. The flight was discontinued, and landed in Omsk. Alexei Navalny was hospitalized. At first, the physicians said that it was a possible poisoning, but later said it wasn’t, after police came busting into the Hospital. Navalny, was transferred to a hospital in Berlin, Germany, and then it was confirmed that he was poisoned by a Russian poison called, Novichok. Novichok was a toxic poison invented by the Soviets during the cold war. This makes it more clear, that Putin was the cause for Navalny’s targeting. (Putin was part of the KGB) So, after Navalny was released from the hospital, he had one of the most difficult decisions ever. Should he stay in Germany and show the world he feared Putin, and thus, crushing the pro-democratic movement in Russia, or return to Russia, and may be killed. He courageously decided to pursue a trip to Russia. Of course, upon arrival at the Airport he was arrested by police on sham charges, of ‘’violating his parole.’’ He was sentenced to prison in court where he signaled a love sign to his wife, and was transferred to prison. Almost immediately, riots broke out. Russians wanted liberty, and freedom. They were fed up of Putin, and his regime. While Soviet Russia fell in 1991, the modern day corrupt Russia, with oligarchical leadership, may fall again, with the help of the U.S. Today, the Biden Administration sanctioned china over the arrest of Navalny, but that is not enough. We need more, we need pursue the tactics of old, we need to help the citizens of Northern Europe, be free again. Hopefully, pro-democratic movements across the world will thrive, and freedom will win again.