Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Vladimir Putin has only two options: to be in the dock "in the Hague" or to be "killed by one of his accomplices".
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Zelensky's comments come after a dramatic week that has included the fall of Avdiivka and the death of Putin's political adversary Alexei Navalny.
Zelensky added: "After the murder of Alexei Navalny, it's absurd to perceive Putin as a supposedly legitimate head of a Russian state, and he is a thug who maintains power through corruption and violence."
The Context
Zelensky has attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany this week alongside other world leaders as the situation surrounding Russia's invasion of Ukraine intensifies. The Ukrainians began withdrawing troops from the embattled town of Avdiivka this week, with an official announcement made overnight on Friday.
The news comes as Alexei Navalny, one of Russia's fiercest critics of Putin, was reported dead by Russia's prison service on Friday. He was serving multiple sentences at a penal colony in the Arctic Circle for founding and funding an extremist organisation, parole violations, contempt of court, and fraud. He denied all charges against him.
On Saturday, a spokesperson for Navalny confirmed his death. He died at 2:17 p.m. local time on February 16, according to a document given to Navalny's mother, Lyudmila, as per the BBC.
What We Know
Zelensky is at the Munich Security Conference alongside other world leaders, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Referring to the death of Navalny, Zelensky said: "Just yesterday, he tried to send us all a clear message as the Munich Security Conference opened. Putin murdered another opposition leader. Let's not fear Putin's defeat and the destruction of his regime. Let's instead stand together to destroy what he stands for."
Zelensky branded the Russian leader a "thug who maintains power through corruption and violence", adding that Russia values only the "the complete devaluation of human life" in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Response to Avdviika
Ukraine withdrew forces from the Donbas town of Avdiivka before dawn on Saturday. Zelensky used his speech to call on Western allies to continue supplying support to Ukraine; the country will have been embroiled in the war with Russia for two years as of February 22, 2024.
"Keeping Ukraine in the artificial deficits of weapons, particularly in a deficit of artillery and long-range capabilities, allows Putin to adapt to the current intensity of the war," Zelensky told the conference.
While aid packages have been agreed with the European Union and individual member states this month, U.S. lawmakers are still at odds over a proposed deal to send more aid to Ukraine. House Speaker Mike Johnson is blocking a vote in the lower chamber on whether to approve a $60 billion package that will provide Ukraine, Israel and other allies with support.
"Ukraine is left alone, Russia will destroy us," Zelensky said in a CNN interview following his conference appearance.
Views
While no direct comments have been made on Zelensky's remarks that Putin is either locked in The Hague or dies at the hands of a supposed ally, Western leaders have called for consequences for the Russian leader, albeit in less harsh terms than Zelensky has used.
President Joe Biden said on Friday in remarks sent to Newsweek by the White House: "What has happened to Navalny is yet more proof of Putin's brutality. No one should be fooled -- not in Russia, not at home, not anywhere in the world. Putin does not only target his [the] citizens of other countries, as we've seen what's going on in Ukraine right now, he also inflicts terrible crimes on his own people."
Biden continued to give the Russian leader a stark warning: "Putin and the whole world should know: If any adversary were to attack us, our NATO Allies would back us. And if Putin were to attack a NATO Ally, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory. Now is the time for even greater unity among our NATO Allies to stand up to the threat that Putin's Russia poses."
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said at the security conference on Saturday: "When appalling human rights outrages like this take place, what we do is we look at whether there are individual people that are responsible and whether there are individual measures and actions we can take."
Marina Litvinenko, the wife of poisoned former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko who was assassinated in the U.K. in November 2006, said she sympathised with Navalny's family. Russia was ruled responsible for the death of her husband by the European Court of Human Rights in 2021.
In response to Russia's advances in Ukraine, European leaders have appealed directly to House Speaker Mike Johnson to move forward with allowing more U.S. aid into Ukraine.
"This is our joint appeal to the U.S. House of Representatives and personally to Speaker Mike Johnson to submit the Ukraine aid package to a vote," Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski told a joint news conference with Britain's Cameron.
What's Next?
Reaction to Navalny's death has been widespread, with protests taking place in Russia and vigils hosted in other nations.
Ukraine is unlikely to make any direct response to the death of Navalny. While other Western nations have said they will look to take action, it remains to be seen what this will entail.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aliss Higham is a Newsweek reporter based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her focus is reporting on issues across the U.S., including ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
