Today the Russian Prison Services announced the death of Russian dissident, and Humanitarian figure Alexei Navalny.

His time opposing the reign of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin extends to before he became the duly anointed successor to Soviet Apparatchik heir Boris Yeltsin. His opposition to the regime, on the grounds of its Humanitarian woes, as well as its lack of support for Human Rights, as well as Press Freedoms, has extended beyond his death.

At the beginning of the Putin Regime’s self-anointing as Silovaki, or Oligarchs, to the fortunes, and spoils of the former Soviet Empire. He alone found himself in gross opposition to the authority of Putin, and his cronies. The coopting of his message by others both domestically, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; an author and Putin favorite, as well as others within, and funded by the government, would play a crucial role in the disestablishmentarianism of his natural legitimacy to the reigns of Russian power. But also overseas, including a well-publicized, and ultimately illegal influence campaign, that relied on authors such former Economist staff writer Stephen Short, and his recent book entitled “Putin”, which fails to picture, yet still mentions the now deceased Russian opposition figure. Yet also, in its ghastly brutality, and corruption. Oversaw the direct, and assisted killings, or attempted assassinations of other key regime opposition figures, including Garry Kasparov, Alexander Litvinenko, LGBTQ Rights Activist Yelena Grigoryeva, as well as a number of high profile successful killings of journalist including, Anna Politkovskaya, Ivan Safronov, Yevgeny Gerasimenko, Timor Kuashev, and others both at home, and abroad.

Navalny, whose voice was at the beginning of Putin’s reign, heard clearly over the Atlantic, and talked about in Sovietology circles as someone who could one day be a legitimate leader, of a Free, and Constitutionally mandated, Russian Democracy. Became someone whom, over the course of several years of at times indiscriminate, and brutal kidnappings, and killings. Became a cautionary tale, that saw its end in a Siberian, Soviet style Gulag. And a message of warning, for anyone who would be tempted to deviate from official messaging from Putin, and his gang of thugs, and cronies. His erstwhile incarceration while suffering from an unidentified ailment, has put anti-climactic Soviet freeze on any furthering of continued relations between the United States, and Russia. And has thrown the United Nations Security Council once deliberative, and sacred processes, into complete disarray, adding to the already looming disfunction, which the chamber was already becoming accustomed to.

To say that Navalny’s death is somewhat of a break or reprieve from the normal state of relations with the United States, and indeed the Putin dominated politics of Russia, is only beginning to scratch at the surface of the facts which now exist. However, to plan for something bigger than what the west already has on its plate, with Russia, and its attempts to reconstitute a neo-imperial, revanchist, neo-soviet empire, is not the newest answer to what has already become a state of deteriorated relations, between the west, and the then pronounced pariah state.

The best the United States, and indeed European Western Allied nations, can hope for, is the further deterioration of the Net Operating Balance of the Putin controlled Russian Government. And that the furthering of hostilities between Ukraine, and Russia, will lead to the end of the Russian leaders reign of terror. If only but for a time we may be able to further the cause of freedom, and democracy, in a country which has never known either. And Putin seemingly able to outlast four different Presidents, as well as the better part of a quarter century, his days, while numbered by the West, seemingly are worth their share in gold.

In Russia there is a saying, “Mother knows best”. For Putin, Mother Russia may know best, but as long as he aligns the cards, and shuffles the deck, Mother Russia’s best, will only play into his own cruel hands.

Rest in Peace Alexei Navalny. And may his widow, and young family, find the comfort, and peace of mind, that they seek, in this hour of their extreme woe, and sorrow.