For many years Mikhail Khodorkovsky was the richest man in Russia. Then he became enemy number one Wladimir Putin, the dissident oligarch. The former CEO of oil giant Yukos served nine years in prison for tax evasion. Released in 2013, he fled into exile.
And now, in an interview with CNN, he takes stock of the war in Ukraine and Putin in particular: “He went crazy because he predicted that the Ukrainian people would welcome him by throwing flowers at him when he invaded the country. In the beginning he wanted to change the power in Kyiv and use his puppet. But he freaked out when the Ukrainians resisted the invasion,” he said.
Therefore, Khodorkovsky gives his version of the facts on the reasons for the escalation a Kharkiv and Kyiv: “The fact that the people of Kharkiv didn’t greet him with flowers not only made him angry, but I really think so literally drove him crazy. That’s when he started bombing Kharkiv and Kyiv, he explains.
Then the former oligarch explains what, in his opinion, are the ways to get out of the conflict: “Putin now has three options: continue to put pressure on Ukraine, use weapons of mass destruction to force Ukrainians to withdraw, or start real negotiations. Finally, the prophecy: Tsar Putin would have counted time. “Yes, I am convinced that Putin doesn’t have much time yet. Maybe a year, maybe three‘ Khodorkovsky concludes, referring to the possibility that the tsar will die or be deposed.