Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, declined an invitation to attend Biden’s State of the Union address, citing a scheduling conflict. However, reports indicate that the real reason she refuses to attend is the presence of Yulia Navalnaya, wife of deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
In an official statement given to POLITICO, Zelenska’s office said: “Due to planned events in the schedule, including the visit of children from an orphanage to Kyiv, which was planned in advance, unfortunately, the first lady will not be able to participate in the event.”
However, other reports indicate that Zelenska declined because of Navalny’s views on Russian claims to Crimea, which he wholeheartedly supported.
“While in the West, we have always thought of him as someone who fought bravely and courageously against Putin, in Ukraine, Navalny is seen as in line with a mindset of Russian nationalism and imperialism,” said Alina Polyakova, president of the Center for European Policy Analysis.
“Navalny opposed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, of course, but in 2014, when Russia first invaded Ukraine, he very much was in line with a general Russian view that saw Crimea as part of Russia’s historical lands,” Polyakova said.
