Ekaterina Duntsova runs for president against Putin

On Friday, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin announced that he will run again in the presidential elections in March. Putin has ruled Russia for almost a quarter of a century. The re-election, which is in fact only of ceremonial significance, will give him another six years in office.

Nevertheless, there are opposing candidates. One of them is Ekaterina Duntsova: a lawyer, journalist and local politician. The 40-year-old mother of three lives in the city of Rzhev, around 200 kilometers west of Moscow. Her main political goal is the release of all political prisoners. She wants to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations. "In the last ten years, our country has moved in the wrong direction, the course is heading towards self-destruction," she says on her website. In the interview, she says: "I wanted people to understand that power can be removed, that something like this is possible in principle."

ntv: You are a local politician and want to become president. What motivated you to do this?

Ekaterina Duntsova: Trust in power is born right here [in local politics]. People come and want to get something, but the powers at provincial level are very limited. People need something, ask for help and get a refusal in response - on the grounds that we have given everything to the center. I live just like all the other people here. I know the difficulties people have here. The federal politicians think they know what people need. But they are far removed from ordinary people. They don't know how these people live.

They also make political demands.

But of course they do. People's rights and freedoms are important. The first thing I would do is free all political prisoners. These people have openly expressed their opinions and now have to sit in prison camps just for their words. And the sentences are enormously high. Some of these people are ill, some are terminally ill. And what is particularly bad is that there are girls among these prisoners. I can't understand it, it's very cruel. How can political prisoners be treated like this? Cruel, barbaric methods are also used to treat the prisoners.

What is your stance on the war in Ukraine?

I am not a supporter of collective responsibility. Nobody asked us when this decision was made. The people who have now been drafted are said to be doing their duty. But for the families it is a tragedy in most cases. They are left alone, the women have to support the family. It's all very complicated and the fatigue is palpable. We see the women of the mobilized taking to the streets with placards. But not all of them are willing to talk about it openly.

What are you doing professionally at the moment?

I'm currently self-employed, I'm a journalist, I write articles and I'm active on social media. At the moment, I'm hardly doing anything other than giving interviews. Of course, this is all linked to the presidential elections and the fact that I'm running.

Who supports you?

I am particularly supported by young people. They publish pictures with me, come up with new slogans for my election campaign. It's all very creative and I like it. And these young people like it too. They have fun with it. They've probably been waiting a long time for this moment. I don't know exactly how many, but tens of thousands have written to me. Most of them live abroad but are Russian citizens. They ask me how they can support me. We are collecting signatures [to get on the ballot].

Do you have any chance at all?

It's not about the chance. This is an idealistic moment. We want to believe in the elections, and if I don't believe in myself, then I won't be able to win the elections. If you don't believe in yourself, then you don't believe in the elections, and if you don't believe in the elections, then you don't believe in yourself.

What is the most important thing for you in this election campaign? Do you want to make people understand your views?

My views are clear, but they have not been heard until now. Who has had the opportunity to present their views recently? I can't remember. The election campaign makes it possible to talk about it. People have stopped talking about it in the last year and a half. We are currently not only controlling what we say, but also what we think. That's terrible.

What do you hope to achieve if you are approved as a candidate for the presidential elections?

If we at least make it to a second round of voting [note: this happens if no candidate receives 50 percent of the votes cast], then it will be a success. Of course, the current president has a lot of support among the people. You have to understand that. The Americans had very uncomfortable questions for Trump, but we knew that Trump would go sooner or later. Nobody knows when Putin will go. I wanted people to understand that power is removable, that such a thing is possible in principle. If there is a second round of elections, it will be a great moral support for these people.

What happened to the TV station in Rzhev where you were editor-in-chief?

The TV station that we founded here was intended as a counterweight to the official stations, which only broadcast the official opinion. We wanted to create a channel that would bring the opinions of all citizens. We invited all the parties during the elections. We were told that we should support someone specifically. We replied: Why? These are elections, the voters should know their candidates. Freedom of the media is the foundation of democracy. If we don't get to know different opinions, then we won't develop our own opinions. It was claimed at the time that I was being paid for my work from the West. But where are all the suitcases with the money? I was accused of having been abroad, where I was taught how to ruin the foundations of the state. As if I couldn't think for myself.

We heard that you were summoned and questioned by the public prosecutor's office in Rzhev. What happened there?

You asked me what I mean when I write that issues of war and peace concern all citizens. That our country is moving in the wrong direction. What I think about the special military operation. [Note: In Russia it is forbidden to call the Russian invasion of Ukraine a "war", officially the invasion is still called a "special military operation"]. I didn't say anything at all about the special military operation, on the grounds that any statement I made could be misjudged. I told them everyone has their opinion on it, depending on their views and beliefs.

Did you have the impression that the public prosecutor's office questioned you on its own initiative?

I am convinced that it was an order from above. I know how busy the local public prosecutor's office is, how much they have to do. They wouldn't waste time reading comments on the internet about my work.

What was the atmosphere of the conversation - friendly or aggressive?

It was a polite conversation. I know the people from my previous job, so they were actually friendly. I spoke to the deputy public prosecutor and he explained very humanely: we're still talking to you in a relatively friendly way now, but the next talks, which will certainly take place if they continue, may be different.

You have said that the Second World War is very present for you. What do you mean by that?

There is a large memorial in Rzhev. You can see a Soviet soldier there. He is looking at all of us and represents all the fallen soldiers from the Rzhev area. In total, more than a million soldiers fell here.

What should we do to avoid wars?

There have been many wars in human history and the fight against war should start with oneself. People should decide for themselves that problems cannot be solved through conflict.

And the war in Ukraine?

In the conflict in Ukraine, I will of course insist on negotiations. Today, Russia is in a more favorable position and is ready to negotiate, but Ukraine is not. We should understand each other. The Russians have their own thoughts about who is to blame for everything, but the Ukrainians also have their own view and their own pain. Ukrainians believe that Russia and Putin are the same thing. And they talk about collective responsibility. That is not true. The number of Russian people who are against the war is greater. And on the Second World War: I very much hope that this page of history remains a page of history. We don't need other such pages in our history.

Would the memory of the Second World War be an obligation for you as President?

Yes, because our citizens should live in safety, and secondly, we should live in friendship, with everyone and with ourselves. The special military operation has divided entire families. That is terrible. We need peace, we must not appear to the world as aggressors. People who were forced to leave the country are also suffering as a result. Stereotypes also arise, such as: Russians are bad.

What are the most important points in your program?

These are not points, but tasks: the liberation of all political prisoners, the abolition of some laws that violate the rights of citizens - including the law on foreign agents. The restoration of trust in the organs of power and, of course, the restoration of peace.

How do you intend to achieve this?

I have done a lot of journalism and I understand very well the point of view of those who are involved in this story. Everyone has their truth. The opinions of those who have to defend their position should be taken into account. The most important thing that everyone wants is for us to live in a peaceful country. I very much doubt that people who are currently proclaiming bloody slogans do not want peace. They want this peace just as much as anyone else. It's just that a lot of propaganda is being spread at the moment. People who sit in front of the television from morning till night - I simply can't understand how their brains can stand it, it's terrible. The news is presented on TV in such a way that it's simply impossible to maintain common sense. That's why I say: use different sources and decide for yourself. At the moment, you can still get a lot of information on the internet. There are reliable sources that verify their information.

When you become president, what will be your first decree?

The decree on the pardon of political prisoners.

Why not an end to the war in Ukraine?

Political prisoners can be pardoned in one day. Unfortunately, the conflict in Ukraine cannot be resolved in one day. That is a long job. Unfortunately, we don't yet know how Ukraine will react, but we want it to be a mutual process.

Peter Leontyev and Rainer Munz spoke with Ekaterina Duntsova