OP-ED

Peter Dickinson: Putin the Poisoner

By Peter Dickinson.

Published Feb. 17, 2021 at 12:29 am

A customer walks past the TV screens in a shop in Moscow, on April 17, 2014, during the broadcast of President Vladimir Putin's televised question and answer session with the nation. Putin accused today Ukraine's new authorities of driving the country towards the abyss but said that dialogue was the only way out of the intensifying crisis. AFP PHOTO/ ALEXANDER NEMENOV (Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP)

Photo by AFP

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is a media-savvy man who appreciates the importance of memorable soundbites. This talent first became apparent back in 2011, when he branded Vladimir Putin’s United Russia “the party of crooks and thieves.” Much to the chagrin of the Kremlin, the name stuck.