Should the U.S. put the fate of dissidents at the core of its Russia policy? The question has become unavoidable. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government seems set on killing, slowly or quickly, jailed regime critic Alexei Navalny.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has warned that there will be unspecified consequences if that occurs. That Navalny ended his hunger strike and his life isn’t in imminent danger — for now — doesn't remove the underlying issue.
Today’s debate harkens back to the history of U.S. policy toward Soviet dissidents during the Cold War. The lesson is that support for the liberal opposition can be morally and strategically worthwhile, even though it surely won’t transform Putin’s regime any time soon.