He would be forced to join Russia’s pathetic opposition, which bears part of the blame for the country’s toxic political culture. The opposition – led by Boris Nemtsov, the former leader of the now-defunct Union of Right Forces, Mikhail Kasyanov, a former prime minister, chess master Garry Kasparov, and the writer Edward Limonov – has no coherent message with which to win support or provide a credible alternative to the country’s current leadership.