Russia is holding presidential elections from March 15 to 17. President Vladimir Putin, who has been at the helm for almost 25 years, is almost certain to win another six-year term. Right Livelihood Laureate Vladimir Slivyak told us about the largely ceremonial elections and how Putin’s extended reign will impact the war on Ukraine and the struggle for environmental protection in Russia.
Slivyak, a Russian environmental and peace activist who has had to flee his country, has little hope for change any time soon.
“Unfortunately, there is no choice for Russians in these elections: Russian dictator Vladimir Putin eliminated political opposition a long time ago, and independent candidates are not allowed to participate in elections,” Slivyak said, referring, among others, to opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in February at an Arctic penal colony.
He added that the election system is “deeply corrupt” and will rubberstamp Putin’s victory regardless of how people vote.
Putin’s re-election will mean continued bloodshed in Ukraine. Besides the horrific loss of human life, the war also impacts the fight for a sustainable future.
“It’s bad news for the climate,” Slivyak said. “Russia is deeply dependent on fossil fuels and profits from the export of these fuels. Vladimir Putin started an unprovoked bloody war in Ukraine in 2022, and he desperately needs money to continue it. For as long as Putin is in power, Russia will be killing the climate by extracting and selling as much fossil fuels as it can.”
With Putin in office, the situation will continue to worsen. However, Slivyak holds out hope that change will come–eventually.
“What we need in Russia is a regime change that will not only stop the war in Ukraine but also help to save the climate,” Slivyak said. “It’s unlikely to happen during the upcoming elections, but we must keep hope—all dictatorships fail sooner or later.”
Slivyak received the Right Livelihood Award in 2021 “for his defence of the environment and for helping to ignite grassroots opposition to the coal and nuclear industries in Russia.” Since Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, he has shifted his activism to focus on peace work as well. Read his reflections on the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine!
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