A former Russian oligarch who was very close to Putin and later quarreled with him and ran a prison sentence, warns that Putin already sees himself in a confrontation with the West. He urges the US to step up the pressure
Billionaire Michael Khodorkovsky, who in the early 2000s was “the richest man in Russia” and later quarreled with Putin and ran a prison sentence, warns that Vladimir Putin already sees himself in the war against the West. The former Russian oligarch said this in an interview in Washington.
Khodorkovsky last met Putin 18 years ago, when he was jailed for tax evasion and money laundering that he claimed were revenge for his support of political parties against Putin. He was released in 2013 and currently resides in London.
The billionaire urged the US administration to limit pressure on Russia and remain consistent. “The United States must show Putin a ‘consistent power policy,’ as the economic sanctions against the country’s billionaires do not go far enough.”
Khodorkovsky praised President Joe Biden’s stance against Russia’s threats to deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine, arguing that although his remarks seemed out of context, his calls for regime change were an important step. “If the United States wants to be a moral leader, it has to make a moral statement,” he said.