Russian opposition leader Navalny calls for protests, calls Putin 'insane czar'

Imprisoned political leader Alexei Navalny on Wednesday called for his fellow Russians to protest the invasion of Ukraine every day.

One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critics, Navalny called him an "obviously insane tsar" in a statement posted on Twitter.

"I cannot, do not want and will not remain silent watching how pseudo-historical nonsense about the events of 100 years ago has become an excuse for Russians to kill Ukrainians, and for Ukrainians to kill Russians while defending themselves," he wrote.

Putin has been promoting baseless accusations of Ukraine committing "genocide," and said that the country must undergo a "demilitarization and denazification."

Navalny urged citizens to not allow Russia to "become a nation of frightened silent people. Of cowards who pretend not to notice the aggressive war against Ukraine unleashed by our obviously insane czar."

"Putin is not Russia," Navalny stated. "And if there is anything in Russia right now that you can be most proud of, it is those 6824 people who were detained because - without any call - they took to the streets with placards saying 'No War.'"

The 45-year-old Navalny was almost killed in August 2020 after he was attacked with a nerve agent in Siberia, the BBC reported. He returned to Moscow in January 2021, and he has been impriosned ever since.

"It's the third decade of the 21st century, and we are watching news about people burning down in tanks and bombed houses. We are watching real threats to start a nuclear war on our TVs," Navalny stated.

He encouraged Russians to protest all over the world in "the main square of your city every weekday and at 2 pm on weekends and holidays."

Those who are abroad should go to the Russian embassy, he said.

"But we must, gritting our teeth and overcoming fear, come out and demand an end to the war. Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers," he urged.

Navalny concluded: "Everything has a price, and now, in the spring of 2022, we must pay this price. There's no one to do it for us. Let's not 'be against the war.' Let's fight against the war."