Mikhail Khodorkovsky, one of the billionaires, or oligarchs, of early post-Soviet Russia, told Newsmax that its president, Vladimir Putin, will forever be an enemy of the United States no matter what actions it takes, so he advises not to hold back.
Appearing Tuesday on "Eric Bolling: The Balance," Khodorkovsky said a limited no-fly zone over Ukraine should be imposed and freezing assets of oligarchs should continue.
"Putin must be cut off to the maximum is the extent possible from any financial leverage and any finance available to him, including the wealth available to the oligarchs," said Khodorkovsky, speaking through an interpreter. "Everything that can be frozen must be frozen."
The United States and Western allies have been hitting oligarchs with ties to Putin, and private companies have pulled their business from Russia, with the aim of putting the squeeze on the Russian economy and aiming for the oligarchs to pressure Putin to end the invasion.
But Khodorkovsky expressed doubt that the oligarchs could do much in that direction.
"What can happen is that given that Putin is a dictator and the oligarchs, his minions, they cannot be expected to come up with any kind of significant, active steps," he said. "What must be kept in mind is that Putin may resort to using oligarchs as a tool to influence Western politicians, society and leaders in order to implement his aggressive policies.''
Still, he said, Putin is losing a war that he had expected to easily win. Things may appear to be "hanging in the balance," he said, but Putin "will eventually lose this war."
Khodorkovsky, a onetime oil tycoon, was the richest man in Russia in the early 2000s when he crossed Putin by pointing out what he saw as political corruption in a televised meeting. The man he accused of corruption was one of Putin's old friends in the KGB, and Khodorkovsky ended up sentenced to 10 years in prison and losing his fortune.
While in prison, he transformed into a dissident and freedom fighter, and was exiled upon his release from prison.
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