Playing with Fire? 'Principled' Presidential Election Rival Slams Putin's 'Big Mistake' War in Ukraine, Wants Truce

A Russian election candidate has boldly expressed that he is adamantly anti-war, a risky move that's led to the imprisonment of others who have challenged Vladimir Putin.

Boris Nadezhdin conveyed his sentiments publicly, addressing the wives of mobilized soldiers and criticizing Putin's "special military operation" as a "big mistake."

According to Current Time TV, these wives, seeking the return of their husbands, were told by Nadezhdin that none of the stated goals of the operation had been achieved and were unlikely to be without severe economic repercussions and a detrimental impact on Russia's demography.

Identifying himself as a "principled opponent of the policies of the current president" and positioning as an anti-war candidate, Nadezhdin has managed to retain his freedom.

However, independent Russian news outlet Verstka Media suggests that his political prospects may be limited. Initially endorsed by the Kremlin, Nadezhdin spoke out “not only against the North Military District, but also against Vladimir Putin,” and because of that, he lost his “support.”

To officially be recognized, Nadezhdin must gather 300,000 signatures, which he has yet to do, and present them to the Central Election Commission.

Rumor has it that the commission has already made up its mind on whether he will pass that stage. The election commission will likely refuse to register Nadezhdin and “raise questions about the quality of the collection of signatures,” Vertska Media reported.

A similar fate happened to Yekaterina Duntsova, who announced her decision to enter the race in December 2023 and advocated for a “peaceful” and “humane” Russia.

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However, the Central Electoral Commission rejected her application, citing “mistakes in documents,” according to Russian television reports.

Duntsova vowed to dispute the motion, but any attempts to get back into the race have not been documented.