Alexei Navalny and Boris Nemtsov attempted to build a democratic and free Russia.
Posted by The Bulwark Daily, Checked
- Sources
- 5 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 75%
The Bulwark DailySep 29, 2026
Sources consistently describe Navalny and Nemtsov as opposition leaders working for a democratic Russia, including a 2015 joint democratic coalition and later accounts of their democratic goals. The claim's wording matches the passage, and no source contradicts the core assertion.
What was said
… It's sort of like you continue the spirals, uh, and the paranoid deepens with time. I think the issue is it's not like it's impossible for people who come after him, for Russia, to, you know, one day open up again. You know, they, you know, people do sprout up there, like the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny or Boris Nemtsov, were trying to build a democratic and free Russia, and there was a real demand for that, you know, at the late Soviet period and then the early nineties, and there was an attempt, and the kind of security services, with with Putin, took back over. …
The Bulwark Daily · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. A 2015 Reuters report says Navalny's Party of Progress agreed to join RPR-Parnas, co-founded by Nemtsov, in a 'democratic coalition' to uphold opposition to the Kremlin.[1]
Supports. A 2015 Global Voices report describes Navalny's Progress Party and RPR-Parnas forming a 'democratic alliance' to run a joint list against the Kremlin.[2]
Supports. Britannica describes Nemtsov as a leading figure in the opposition movement for democratic social reforms and as founder of pro-democracy groups.[3]
Supports. Journal of Democracy and other coverage describe Navalny as trying to convince Russians that a fair, transparent, democratic Russia is possible, and Nemtsov as a leader of the democratic coalition.[4][5]
Context. The claim's wording follows the passage faithfully. The passage is the claimant's own words and is not used as evidence, and the sources show the two men pursued democratic opposition goals, with the 'attempt' framing reflecting their efforts that were later suppressed.[6][7]
Sources
7 sources: 1 fact-checker, 5 not rated, 1 tier 1
- 1Russian Justice Ministry annuls opposition party registrationreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Russia's Democratic Opposition Is Trying to Unite and the Road ...globalvoices.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 3Boris Nemtsov | Facts, Reforms, Opposition to Putin ...britannica.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4Why Vladimir Putin Is Still Afraid to Say Alexei Navalny's ...journalofdemocracy.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Navalny 'punches higher': raising prospects for Russia's ...demdigest.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6After Navalny: Russian opposition is weaker than ever - but it's not why you thinkbbc.com · tier 1 · cited for: context
- 7A Case for Supporting Free Democratic Russiathinktank.4freerussia.org · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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