“If they could give 50% of the condition to the aid of Ukraine, and leave 50% to themselves, everyone would have come running to one”

Financial Times - about how Russian businessmen offer to share their money for the abolition of sanctions

At first after the start of the war in Ukraine, it seemed to many that with the help of sanctions against Russian billionaires, one could put pressure on the Kremlin and force the oligarchs to break relations with Russia. In reality, this did not happen, and the businessmen themselves have to choose between many years and a difficult struggle for their condition in the West or a return to Russia, where they have everything. The newspaper Financial Times spoke in detail about the situation in which the richest Russian entrepreneurs were.

Journalists of Financial Times talked with seven Russian oligarchs who fell under sanctions, as well as with high -ranking bankers, the current and former leaders of large companies, former officials, their friends and relatives. From these conversations it follows that many businessmen are opposed to war, they are outraged by the fact that she destroyed the results of their work in the decades. At the same time, writes Financial Times, they are angry west, which, in their opinion, made them scapegoats, punishing them for events that did not depend on them.

“In order to make a palace coup and overthrow the king, you must first be in the palace. None of these people are there, ”said one of the interlocutors of the newspaper.

The opinions that Russian businessmen do not have leverage on Russian President Vladimir Putin are adhere to people in Western political circles. In particular, Michael McFol, the former ambassador of the US Ambassador to Moscow, speaks of the inefficiency of individual sanctions.

There are two types of oligarchs in Russia. There are oligarchs of the 1990s, and we are all very proud when we impose sanctions on them and take their yachts. But, we will be honest, these guys have no influence on Vladimir Putin.

Another type of Russian oligarch, according to McFaol, is “a rich guy close to Putin, but he is rich precisely because he is close to Putin. Therefore, he does not have leverage to force him to stop the war. "

Businessmen feel, writes FT that because of the sanctions they were trapped, where the choice is between a quiet life in Russia or persecution due to an anti-war position. As an example, they cite the situation with Oleg Tinkov, who was forced to sell his share at Tinkoff Bank after he publicly condemned Putin and war.

“They say they are afraid to be poisoned, but in fact they are afraid to lose their money and reputation,” says a senior Russian businessman. - They do not know how to act in such a situation. They are completely disoriented. "

FT draws attention to the fact that at least 21 Russian businessmen today sue with the EU, trying to achieve the abolition of sanctions. The Russians who filed complaints argue that the legal grounds on which their assets were frozen and the ban on entry was introduced are groundless or erroneous.

Journalists also came to similar conclusions. According to the documents that FT journalists were familiar with, many materials justifying the introduction of sanctions were apparently collected in a hurry from news articles, publications on corporate sites and messages on social networks. The reason for this, the newspaper writes, could serve as a pressure that the authorities exerted on officials so that they faster constituted sanctions lists.

One of the interlocutors of FT said that in several cases he used data on taxes paid as the basis for introducing sanctions, as this money “helped finance Putin’s military car”. This accusation greatly outraged some businessmen: they believe that their companies brought the Russian budget only an insignificant part of what the EU itself spends on Russian oil and gas since the beginning of the war.

The European Union helps Putin more than us. They should impose sanctions on themselves.

Since Russian businessmen understand that the trials in the EU are likely to drag on for years, among them there was an idea of ​​“redemption” - they are ready to abandon part of their state in favor of Ukraine if sanctions are removed from them. According to FT, several Russian oligarchs have already made such a proposal. The newspaper writes that billionaire Mikhail Friedman spoke about this subject with temporary attorney in the US affairs in Ukraine Christina Quin, but Friedman himself denies this.

“If there was some rule according to which they give 50% of their condition to support Ukraine, and the remaining 50% leave themselves, then everyone would have come running to the same one,” one of the Russian businessmen said.

According to him, the majority would take the opportunity to preserve part of their condition, because "Putin can offer them only something in the future, and all that they want is to return the money that they had and which they lost right now."

In Ukraine, such proposals are skeptical. “Ukraine does not use sanctions as a bargaining item. This is a matter of principle. The main goal of the sanctions is to stop the war, and not find any conditions in which one can agree to their cancellation, ”said Rostislav Shurma, deputy head of the office of President Vladimir Zelensky.

“February 24, 25, 26, 28 - when it was necessary to decide which side you are on. On the side of the world? Or on the side of darkness? " - said the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Alexei Danilov.