Neither Alexei Navalny’s widow nor Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s wife will be attending Joe Biden’s upcoming State of the Union address, sparking reports there may be a rift between the two.
Yulia Navalnaya and Olena Zelenska are known around the world for standing up to Vladimir Putin’s regime, having first come into the spotlight through their husbands.
They were expected to sit either side of US First Lady Jill Biden on Thursday at Biden’s address, offering a clear image of resistance to Putin’s rule – but both of them have since pulled out.
Navalnaya has become an international name in the last fortnight, having stepped into her husband’s shoes after he died under mysterious circumstances in prison last month.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s first lady Zelenska has travelled around the world – both with and without her husband – to raise awareness of Kyiv’s struggle in the fight against Putin.
After she declined the White House invitation, Navalnaya’s spokesperson, Yira Yarmysh, said: “Yulia’s husband died two weeks ago. She’s been travelling all this time. Today is the first day she’s been home at all. Like any human being, she needs time to recover.”
But Zelenska may have pulled out because of Navalnaya’s expected appearance, according to reports in The Washington Post.
US think tank Centre for European Policy Analysis, told the newspaper that “in Ukraine, Navalny is seen as in line with a mind-set of Russian nationalism and imperialism”.
Unnamed sources in the White House told the newspaper that Navalnaya’s appearance could present “discomfort” for Ukrainians because of what Navalny said a decade ago.
When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Navalny agreed it was an illegal move from Putin.
However, he said it was unlikely to return to Ukraine’s hands, adding: “Let’s not kid ourselves. And I advise the Ukrainians not to kid themselves, either.”
He later said in 2018 that an internationally recognised referendum should be held in Crimea instead.
Once Russia’s invasion began, Navalny released a message from prison saying Ukraine’s lawful territory included Crimea, as stated in the rules drawn up in the 1991 Soviet Union collapse.
Navalnaya and her team – along with international leaders like Biden – have since said that Putin played a role in Navalny’s death in February, despite the Kremlin saying it was natural causes.
So when the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, GUR, Kyrylo Budanov, repeated that it was a blood clot, his message was echoed by the Kremlin.
Navalny’s aide Maria Pevchikh accused Budanov of “lying” on social media.
However, Zelenska’s office – and a White House official – said she had an appointment with an orphanage in Kyiv, according to The Times.
The White House also told the Washington Post two days before the event that seating arrangements are finalised nearer to the event.
It’s also worth noting that Ukrainian president Zelenskyy has also faced backlash for commenting on Ukraine and Russia.
He said in 2014, after the annexation of Crimea, that people from the two countries were “one people” – a phrase Putin has since echoed.
Kyiv may not have wanted Zelenska to attend the prestigious occasion to avoid seeming to closely aligned to Biden in case Donald Trump clinches a second term in the White House later this year.