F. Joseph Dresen

Today, the world appears ready for a new round of strategic diplomacy that could lead to realignments among major powers seeking to protect their interests amidst heightened international tensions. A similar period of statecraft and realignment occurred during the era of détente in the 1970s, a process that followed a period of major Cold War tensions, spanned about a decade, and involved numerous agreements, treaties, and diplomatic maneuvers.

Spurred by hopes of a possible peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, analysts and politicians alike spent the week issuing geopolitical projections and estimates of the resulting potential gains or losses for each side. Such discussions often reduce war to some sort of chessboard—but war is, first and foremost, a human tragedy.

One year after Alexei Navalny’s death, the Russian opposition in exile is in deep crisis. Many in the democratic movement are engaged in painful soul-searching. Is his legacy now wasted in fruitless internal disputes? What should those who remember him do to safeguard his memory and his mission? What should those who want to continue Navalny’s fight for a better Russia do next?