‘Take an irreversible step’: Yulia Navalnaya calls on Putin and Trump to free political prisoners ahead of 'historic' Alaska talks

Exiled Russian opposition leader Yulia Navalnaya has appealed to Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to reach a deal that would free Russian and Ukrainian political prisoners. Navalnaya, whose husband Alexei Navalny died in a Russian prison last year, made her plea in a video posted on social media on Friday, just hours before the two leaders were due to meet in Alaska to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine.

‘An irreversible step’

“You must take an irreversible step, something that cannot be undone,” Navalnaya said in her message to both presidents. “Free Russian political activists and journalists. Free Ukrainian civilians. Free those imprisoned for anti-war statements and social media posts,” she added.

Past prisoner swaps between Russia and the US

Putin and Trump have previously agreed on prisoner swaps, securing the release of individuals held in each other’s countries. Last year, former US president Joe Biden negotiated a major exchange that freed two American journalists and several Russian opposition figures in return for alleged Russian spies arrested in Europe.

Moscow’s crackdown on dissent

Since the start of the Ukraine invasion in February 2022, Russia has prosecuted hundreds for speaking out against the war. Soon after ordering the military offensive, Moscow passed strict laws criminalising criticism of its armed forces or sharing information from non-government sources. According to Kyiv, thousands of Ukrainian civilians remain detained in Russia and in territories under Russian occupation.