The way you described Putin is how I understand him. He is a tough guy, but he is leading a tough country in a tough world. Of course he is. Do I think he is corrupt? Probably, but definitely not more corrupt than other world leaders, including the US.

I don't know much at all about Navalnyi, except that he is supported by the US, which means most likely he'd be ready to hand Russia over to the US banks and corporations like Yeltsin did. I've heard he has neo-Nazi ties, but I don't know if that is true.

I do know more about what happened in Ukraine, as I have been there and we have some friends in Kiev. One family is ethnic Russian, and even before the "revolution" they talked about how Russians were being repressed. The coup in 2014 was lead by the US. The ongoing civil war was and is still horrible for the people, and the leaders of the coup are actual neo-Nazis. So the rumors about Navalnyi don't surprise me.

I'm not a fan of Putin, but he is not the leader of my country, so as long as he is not trying to invade other countries (Crimea is a VERY special situation), then I don't see him as any of my business. You Russians can deal with Putin. I'd be much happier if the US was just staying inside our borders - and I think a majority of the world agrees with me.