Boris Nadezhdin Pledges to Bring an End to the Ukraine Conflict as Putin's Potential Rival

Boris Nadezhdin, a potential challenger to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has stated that if he were to become president, he would end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office. While Nadezhdin does not expect to win the upcoming elections on 17 March, he believes that Putin will not last for another six years. Nadezhdin envisions a Russia without Putin, where conflicts would cease and relations would be restored. He criticizes Putin for his mistakes, including the military operation in Ukraine. Putin has been in power since the early 2000s and has increasingly become more authoritarian. Although he has won multiple presidential elections, no serious opposition has been allowed in recent years. Leaders like Alexey Navalny, who was once seen as a threat to Putin's authority, have been imprisoned, assassinated, or forced into exile. However, Nadezhdin, a local councillor with three decades of experience, has been allowed to openly criticize the Kremlin. His team claims to have gathered over 100,000 signatures, sufficient for him to run as a candidate. Despite unconfirmed reports that anti-war candidates will be barred from running, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Nadezhdin would be allowed to run if he met the necessary requirements. Nadezhdin has been critical of Putin for the past decade and aims to restore key institutions that have been dismantled during his rule. His top priority is to end the conflict with Ukraine and repair relations with the Western community. Nadezhdin, whose name shares similarities with the Russian word for hope, claims to have the support of millions of people. Despite initially facing doubts about his candidacy, he believes that his momentum will continue to grow. He intends to bring about change in Russia and views peace as a vital component in making the country great, peaceful, and free. Nadezhdin asserts that an increasing number of Russians are realizing that Putin's leadership is leading the country towards militarism, authoritarianism, and isolation.