Putin's political opponent vows to end Ukraine war

Boris Nadezhdin, the man running against Vladimir Putin in March's election in Russia has vowed to end the war in Ukraine if he is elected. However, he says he's "unlikely" to win on 17 March.

Nadezhdin is adamant that regardless of the election results, Putin would not last another six years, and has offered Russia an alternative vision, which would end the current war in Ukraine.

Putin has won several elections, although in recent years there has been no serious opposition. The Kremlin maintain that elections are fair, and that Putin is popular with the Russian people.

Opposition leader Alexey Navalny was once seen as a genuine contender to take over the reigns from Putin, but he has been imprisoned since 2021. Other opposition leaders have been killed, exiled, or put into prison.

Nadezhdin, who has been a local councillor for over 30 years, has seen his opposition and criticism tolerated so far. His team says they have over 100,000 signatures from members of the Russian population, which would allow him to run as a candidate.

The veteran politician says he has been criticising Mr Putin for the last 10 years. "He practically destroyed the key institutions of the modern state of Russia. My job will be to restore these institutions," said Mr Nadezhdin. "My first task will be to stop the conflict with Ukraine, and then to restore normal relations between Russia and the Western community."