The presidential elections in the Russian Federation are approaching, which will be held on March 17. Of course, the results are already known, even if there is still some potential “hope”. But what is the truth about the new sensation of this election? Who is standing in front of the current president Vladimir Putin? What does this opponent think about the war in Ukraine and who actually supports him? If someone thinks that even some form of real opposition is accepted in a state called Russia, then he is very mistaken. Therefore, it is important to ask: is this competitor of Putin really different or just another facade of the same regime?

Currently, four candidates from parliamentary parties are registered, including the current president, Vladimir Putin. On January 28, the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation accepted the registration documents, including the signatures for the participation in the elections of the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Serhii Malinkovich. Those who opposed Putin voted for the Communists in the last election because they were urged to do so by Alexei Navalny. The candidate from the communists will be followed by others, in particular the organizer of the most active signature collection campaign, Borys Nadyeddin, who is supported by the Civic Initiative party. His campaign group continues to collect signatures. The lists will probably be sent to the CEC on the last day of the collection – January 31. This means that any formal signature requirements have not yet been lifted. In 10 days, starting in February, it will become clear what Nadyeddin’s chances are for registration. So far, according to the Russians, he would have little chance, as can be seen from the explosion of criticism directed against him in recent days. However, the issue of admission to the elections is clearly not closed.

As a liberal, Boris Nadezhdin was an employee of the government apparatus and a member of the State Duma from the “Union of Right Forces” of Anatoly Chubais and Boris Nemtsov, and then a public figure who, in my opinion, plays In October 2023, the newspaper “Vedomosti”, close to the Russian authorities, reported , that Putin plans to diversify the ballot with a “liberal” candidate such as Oleksiy Venediktov, former editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy. (the station stopped broadcasting a week after the invasion began). He himself declared that he is not going to run for president.

However, around the same time, Boris Nadyedin announced his intention to run for president. Could this be the ideal liberal candidate for the Kremlin?

Through Nadezhdin, the current president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, wants to understand more precisely how many Russians there are, as well as who exactly opposes the war. By collecting signatures, personal data is obtained. A candidate who beckons that he is “anti-war” is the perfect decoy to see the pulse of society regarding real support for Russian aggression in Ukraine. By using Nadezhdin as an ostensibly anti-war candidate, Putin can effectively monitor and control the opposition. By collecting signatures and personal information, the regime can identify those who oppose its policies, which can lead to retaliation, intimidation, or even arrest.

Moreover, Russian refugees abroad also signed up for Nadeytin’s hope, by the way, in very large numbers. To register in the elections, it is necessary to collect 105,000 signatures. Until now, Nadezhdin managed to collect more than 300,000 signatures. So it stands to reason that supporting an anti-war candidate would matter. Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, has collected at least three million signatures, according to his election team, which is of course the team of the United Russia party, even if he wants to run as an independent.

The absolute majority of political scientists believe that Boris Nadezhdin will withdraw from the elections after all (I am not one of them). And even if it were removed, Russians stand in lines only because they have no other option to express their anti-Putin and anti-war position. This is the only legal way to protest by voting for another registered candidate. But it is also a consequence of the call of Russian public figures abroad, who are considered part of Russian civil society, such as Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

When Boris Nadezhdin first became a potential candidate, many Russians found it amusing that he entered the presidential race against Putin. And it was not even believed that he would be able to organize a clear campaign, collect the necessary signatures, but here, it seems, he has collected them and is ready to make the next move in the game to get the second place in the presidential elections, I just wonder what percentage Nadezhdin, impersonating for criticizing the war, can distract the public from real problems and real criticism of Putin’s leadership. This can reduce the effectiveness of genuine opposition and weaken anti-war messages. In essence, while Nadezhdin presents himself as an anti-war voice and wants to declare peace with Ukraine after he is elected president, his position on maintaining the current military borders with Ukraine involves alignment with Putin’s interests and policies, not real opposition. or a sincere commitment to peace and respect for international law. In essence, what Nadezhdin proposes is no better than Putin’s actions, it is the same manipulation. –

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