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However, despite the belief of many that Nadezhdin is a Kremlin-approved candidate, influential opposition figures, including exiled political figures such as Maxim Katz, Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Ivan Zhdanov (head of Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation), have urged their supporters to endorse the liberal candidate. They view supporting Nadezhdin as a legal way for Russian voters to express their opposition to the war while staying within the country.
On his campaign website, Nadezhdin identifies as a "principled opponent of the policies of the current president," with a significant emphasis on the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. His website asserts that Putin "made a fatal mistake by initiating the special military operation" and advocates for Moscow to "initiate peace negotiations with Ukraine and the West."
Despite the belief in many quarters that Nadezhdin has received approval from the Kremlin itself, political analyst Fedor Krasheninnikov told the Riga-based outlet Meduza that it is unlikely Russia’s Central Election Commission will approve Nadezhdin’s candidacy. This will likely be justified by suggestions that the signatures he collected were not legitimate.
“Nadezhdin wasn’t immediately axed because he seemed utterly hopeless. Now, with all the fuss around him involving figures detested by the Kremlin, I see no reason they would register him,” he said.
2.11 India pivots its weapons purchases from Russia to US
India is pivoting away from Russia, its long-time arms supplier, and working more closely with the US has New Delhi tries to stay in the middle ground of the heightened geopolitical tensions.
Russia supplied 65% of India's weapons purchases of more than $60bn during the last two decades, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, but the Ukraine war accelerated its desire to diversify its weapons supplies. India expects to spend nearly $100bn on defence orders over the next decade, its defence minister has said.
India has decreased its military purchases and joint military production with Russia, according to reports, as its military engagement with the US deepens.
India and the US signed a deal for General Electric to build and operate a facility to make fighter jets engines, the first such US concession to a non-ally. Cooperation ranging from air combat to intelligence has also been fast-tracked for US approval.
India is also in talks to buy French jets for its latest aircraft carrier and jointly build submarines with French, German or Spanish technology. The US will provide fighter jets with American and French engines, Reuters reports.
Washington's drive to sell advanced weaponry to India is part of a broader strategy to contain Russia and China as well as undermine both the BRICS+
26 RUSSIA Country Report February 2024 www.intellinews.com