MOSCOW—Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Tuesday officially announced his bid to run in the 2018 presidential election, a move that political observers say puts pressure on President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin.
Navalny said in a video statement posted on a new campaign website that “I will take part in the struggle for the post of president of Russia.”
Russia’s most widely-known opposition figure and a leading anti-corruption activist, Navalny has repeatedly said Putin and his inner circle are guilty of graft and has successfully tapped into popular anger at the lavish lifestyle led by some of the country’s elite.
Navalny, 40, is currently on trial on fraud charges in a regional Russian city in a case that his supporters say is politically motivated. If convicted, he would be barred from running for public office.
Putin hasn’t said whether he will seek a fourth presidential term in the March 18 election, but he is widely expected to run.
Navalny’s plan to stand for president was widely known but Tuesday’s announcement marks the formal launch of his campaign.
