The White House has invited Yulia Navalna, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, to take part in President Joe Biden’s State of the Nation address, but she will not be able to attend, a senior official told AFP on Tuesday.

The 81-year-old Democrat will deliver his landmark annual address to Congress on Thursday, which takes on special significance months before the presidential election in which he is a candidate.

Every year, the White House invites citizens and personalities who embody the political priorities of the moment to attend this speech with the First Lady – in this case, Jill Biden.

One of this year’s guests is Kate Cox from Texas. She was forced to leave her home state to have an abortion after learning that the fetus she was carrying was not viable. The President of the United States has made the protection of abortion rights a theme of his re-election campaign.

He also presents himself as a defender of democracy in the United States and around the world, particularly through his support for Ukraine.

Joe Biden met with the widow and daughter of Alexei Navalny on February 23 in California and called Russian President Vladimir Putin “responsible” for the death of the detained opposition figure.

The State of the Union Address is a requirement of the US Constitution that the president must “periodically” brief Congress.

Over the years, this constitutional obligation has become an integral and highly solemn political ritual, allowing the president to lay out his priorities while extolling his achievements in a speech that usually lasts more than an hour.

This year, Joe Biden will also want to use his speech to address concerns among Americans about his age and ability, expressed in numerous polls.