There is "no point trying to negotiate" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, said at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14.
Navalnaya's comments come two days before the anniversary of her husband's death, which coincided with the launch of the 2024 Munich Security Conference.
As U.S. and Ukrainian officials gathered in Europe to discuss steps towards negotiating an end to Russia's war, Navalnaya warned against attempting to make agreements with Putin.
"Even if you decided to negotiate with Putin, just remember he will lie," she said.
"He will betray. He will change the rules at the last moment and force you to play his game."
Days before this year's Munich Security Conference began, U.S. President Donald Trump held separate calls with both Putin and President Volodymyr Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump called Putin first on Feb. 12, saying later that the two leaders agreed that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will start "immediately."
Trump has repeatedly promised to strike a deal with Moscow that brings about a swift end to the war in Ukraine.
"There are only two possible outcomes for any deal with Putin," Navalnaya said.
"If he remains in power, he will find a way to break the agreement. If he loses power, the agreement will become meaningless."
Navalnaya, who has emerged as a prominent leader in the Russian opposition movement in the wake of her husband's death, spoke at a conference panel along exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Tsikhanouskaya added that supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression would help other countries, including Belarus and Moldova.
"By helping Ukraine, you're helping the whole region," she said.
Alexei Navalny died on Feb. 16 in a penal colony in northern Russia, after being convicted in several fabricated criminal cases as part of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent. Navalnaya has accused Putin of murdering her husband and vowed to continue his political work.
The Kremlin has denied any role in Navalny's death.
While Navalnaya is an outspoken critic of Putin's government, she has expressed ambivalence on military support for Ukraine, commenting in October 2024 that "it's difficult to say" whether Kyiv should receive weapons, because "the bombs are hitting Russians too."
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
