Navalny had Ukrainian roots: his difficult relationship with Kiev. Still, some Ukrainians responded to Alexei Navalny's death by posting a photo of two pieces of bread, one of them moldy.
The half-Ukrainian had made controversial statements that raised suspicions that he held Russian nationalist views similar to Putin. Before his death, Navalny supported Russia's annexation of Crimea and urged people to accept that Crimea is Russian and will remain so. In February 2022, he called out forcefully against the Ukraine War, for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.