Chilling allegations — if true, this isn’t just geopolitics, it’s a direct attack on human rights and the rule of law. The DOJ must pursue a full, transparent investigation and bring anyone responsible to justice, while ensuring prosecutions respect due process. We can’t pretend that “engagement” with Moscow is a substitute for accountability; normalizing ties while credible claims of extrajudicial murder plots exist would be reckless. At the same time, we must protect Russian and Ukrainian diasporas in the US from backlash and xenophobia — these communities are not the enemy. Progressive values mean standing firmly with dissidents, journalists, and refugees targeted by authoritarian regimes, expanding protections for at-risk activists, and coordinating with allies to cut off the networks that enable this violence. Democracy and human dignity demand nothing less.