The construction of Gazprom’s now-infamous Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has been completed. The project’s completion nearly perfectly coincided with the first anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s poisoning by the Kremlin, from which he only narrowly escaped death by the Novichok nerve agent. The connection between these two issues is clear, yet some in Europe and the United States can’t, or don’t, want to see it.

In the immediate aftermath of Navalny’s poisoning a year ago, Western democracies responded with a barrage of harsh statements condemning the attempted murder of the Russian opposition leader and the illegal use of chemical weapons by the Russian state. The West issued warnings and threats on the impending consequences for the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. And yet, a year later, the posture of the Russian president is only strengthened, emboldening him to continue domestic repression and violence worldwide.