Putin's 'Only Options'—Trial or Being Killed by Accomplice: Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Vladimir Putin has only two options: to be in the dock "in the Hague" or to be "killed by one of his accomplices".

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Zelensky's comments come after a dramatic week which has included the fall of Avdiivka and the death of Putin's political adversary Alexei Navalny.

Zelensky added: "After the murder of Alexei Navalny, it's absurd to perceive Putin as a supposedly legitimate head of a Russian state, and he is a thug who maintains power through corruption and violence."

The Context

Zelensky has attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany this week alongside other world leaders as the situation surrounding Russia's invasion of Ukraine intensifies. The Ukrainians began withdrawing troops from the embattled town of Avdiivka this week, with an official announcement made overnight on Friday.

The news comes as Alexei Navalny, one of Russia's fiercest critics of Putin, was reported dead by Russia's prison service on Friday. He was serving multiple sentences at a penal colony in the Arctic Circle for founding and funding an extremist organisation, parole violations, contempt of court, and fraud. He denied all charges against him.

What We Know

Zelensky is at the Munich Security Conference alongside other world leaders, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Referring to the death of Navalny, Zelensky said: "Just yesterday, he tried to send us all a clear message as the Munich Security Conference opened. Putin murdered another opposition leader. Let's not fear Putin's defeat and the destruction of his regime. Let's instead stand together to destroy what he stands for."

Zelensky branded the Russian leader a "thug who maintains power through corruption and violence", adding that Russia values only the "the complete devaluation of human life" in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

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