The first lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska refused an invitation to Joe Bidenʼs address to the nation, because they wanted to seat her next to Yulia, the widow of the Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.
The Washington Post (WP) writes about it.
According to the publication, Zelenska was supposed to sit next to the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden and Yulia Navalna. This is how they wanted to show "the image of women, each of whom is a symbol of resistance to Russian President Putin". This was to become a powerful background for President Bidenʼs speech at a joint session of Congress.
WP, citing Ukrainian sources, writes that the potential presence of Navalny caused "discomfort" on the Ukrainian side, in particular, due to Navalnyʼs position on Crimea — after the annexation of the peninsula in 2014, he said that "Crimea is not a sausage sandwich to be returned back".
WP also suggests that the reason for Zelenskaʼs refusal could be Kyivʼs reluctance to spoil relations with the republicans, who are currently blocking the continuation of aid to Ukraine. Her presence could look like "too close a connection with Biden", writes the publication.
Zelenskaʼs representative Tetyana Hayduchenko said in a comment to LIGA.net that Zelenska refused the trip due to the schedule.
Navalnyʼs widow Yulia also refused to travel to the US due to "fatigue and stress" in connection with her husbandʼs death.
- On February 16, 2024, the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation reported the death of Russian oppositionist Aleksei Navalny in correctional colony No. 3 of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. Officially, the politician fell ill during the walk and fainted. Doctors pronounced death on the spot. The propaganda publication RT wrote that he suffered a blood clot.
- The head of Ukrainian intelligence (known as GUR) Kyrylo Budanov also informed that Navalny died due to the rupture of a blood clot.