Yulia Navalna, the widow of a Russian opposition figure, joins the speakers at the Web Summit technology conference as a representative of an anti-corruption foundation that emphasizes the importance of democratic values on the international stage.
Web Summit: new speakers
Yulia Navalna joins the conference
One of the most prominent global technology events, Web Summit, has expanded its list of speakers. Yulia Navalna, the wife of the late Russian politician Oleksiy Navalny, appeared among the new participants.
Navalny will act as the chairman of the board of directors of the anti-corruption fund. Her profile states that she is an "influential voice for the defense of democracy and human rights".
The controversial position of Oleksiy Navalny regarding Crimea
It is worth mentioning that in 2014, shortly after the annexation of Crimea by Russia, Oleksiy Navalny expressed his opinion on this matter. He admitted that de facto Crimea is part of the Russian Federation, although he added that this happened as a result of a gross violation of international law, and a new referendum should be held there.
Navalny declared: "Crimea belongs to the people who live in Crimea." and added that "Crimea will remain part of Russia and will never again become part of Ukraine in the foreseeable future."
His position regarding the Ukrainian peninsula can be summed up with the phrase: "Is Crimea a sausage sandwich to be tossed around?"
Russian aggression against Ukraine
Since 2014, Russia has been conducting military operations against Ukraine, and in 2022 it launched a full-scale invasion of territory of the state. Since then, Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized the responsibility of all Russian citizens in this war.
Changes in the leadership of Web Summit
It should be noted that in 2023 Web Summit was at the epicenter of a scandal due to the statements of its founder Paddy Cosgrave on the conflict in Israel. As a result, he left his position, and Catherine Meyer, the former head of the Wikimedia Foundation - the organization that ensures the functioning of "Wikipedia" - was appointed as the new general director of the conference.
Glossary
- Web Summit is one of the world's largest technology conferences that gathers leaders IT industry
- Yulia Navalny - Russian social activist, widow of opposition leader Oleksii Navalny
- Oleksii Navalny - Russian opposition politician and anti-corruption activist
- Crimea - a peninsula in the Black Sea, annexed by Russia in 2014
- Paddy Cosgrave - Irish entrepreneur, founder of Web Summit
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Answers to questions
Who is Oleksiy Navalny and what is his position on Crimea?
What role does Yulia Navalna play at the Web Summit conference?
What is Web Summit and what scandal happened in 2023?
Who led the Web Summit after the scandal?
How is the situation with Crimea and the responsibility of Russian citizens for the war in Ukraine related ?
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Discussion of the topic – Yulia Navalna becomes a speaker at WebSummit: The new face of the technology conference
Technology conference WebSummit has updated its list of speakers to include Yulia Navalna, the wife of slain Russian politician Alexei Navalny. She will speak as the chairman of the board of directors of the anti-corruption fund at one of the world's largest technology conferences.
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Alina
It is interesting that Yulia Navalna will speak at WebSummit. Although her husband had a controversial position on Crimea, she can still share valuable experience in the fight against corruption. 🤔
Marco
Yes, Alina, it could be interesting. But let's not forget about the responsibility of the Russians for the war. Even if they fight corruption, this does not justify their tacit approval of aggression. 🇺🇦
Sophie
I agree with Marco. However, Yulia may be able to highlight important aspects of the struggle for democracy in authoritarian regimes. This can be a useful experience for many countries. 💪
Viktor
Eh, those fashionable conferences again... Why even invite these politicians? It would be better to talk about real technologies, and not about all kinds of politics. Tired of all this. 😒
Emilia
Viktor, I understand your dissatisfaction, but technology and society are closely related. It is important to discuss how innovation can contribute to democracy and the fight against corruption. This is also part of technological progress! 🌐
Oleksandr
It will be interesting to listen to Julia. Perhaps she will talk about the use of technology in the fight against corruption. This can be useful for Ukraine. As for the past, it is important to move forward and look for common solutions. 🚀
Sophie
Oleksandr, great point! Perhaps Yulia will share her experience of using blockchain or AI to detect corruption schemes. This could be revolutionary for many countries. 🤖💼
Marco
Sophie, Oleksandr, you are right. Technology can be a powerful tool for change. I hope this talk inspires developers to create more tools to support democracy and transparency. This is what the world needs right now. 🌍✨
Anastasia
By giving a controversial russian the stage for speech, Websummit organizers show that they don't care about bloody wars and a lot of crimes that russia did to other nations, not only to Ukraine. It shows absolute incompetence in understanding what societal and political processes are happening in the world right now. Instead of using their platform for bright tech minds, young talents, and hundreds of tech people who deserve to speak up at the tech conference, they give a word to the controversial wife of the politician that was absolutely fine with russia annexing territories of crimea. Such a disappointment.