Main points
- Putin offered Russian oligarchs to voluntarily finance the war against Ukraine during a closed-door meeting.
- The idea of raising funds by placing military bonds was proposed by Rosneft Chairman Igor Sechin.
Putin suggested that oligarchs throw money at the war in Ukraine / Photo by Russian media
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin held a closed meeting with big businessmen. During the conversation, the president of the aggressor country suggested that the oligarchs voluntarily pour money into the budget to finance the war against Ukraine.
This is reported by the Russian opposition publication The Bell.
Who suggested that Putin offer the oligarchs to finance the war?
According to the publication, Putin decided to meet with Russian oligarchs on March 26 after the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. According to sources of The Bell, the Russian dictator discussed with the businessmen oligarchs the continuation of the war and its financing.
Informed sources told reporters that the gist of Putin's speech came down to the sentences: “They said we would fight” and “We will approach the borders of Donbas.” After that, Putin suggested that businessmen make voluntary contributions to the budget to finance a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to one of The Bell's interlocutors, the idea of “shaking up business in difficult times for the country” belongs to the head of Rosneft, Igor Sechin, who outlined it in a letter to Vladimir Putin the day before. The letter proposed placing military bonds as a mechanism for raising funds.
Some businessmen responded to the request right at the meeting. A member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly, oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, promised to contribute 100 billion rubles to the war, sources say.
The idea of the Russian dictator was supported by at least one other big businessman present at the meeting, although he did not name the amount of his contribution.
Work, meetings, trips to nature – from now on you don't have to choose between a representative appearance and power, because with the Škoda Superb you choose all this plus the most important thing – comfort and safety for every member of your family. This flagship crossover combines the most modern driver assistance systems, high power and a carefully thought-out interior. The model is equipped with LED headlights, Side Assist and all-wheel drive to pave the way for yourself and your loved ones to where new discoveries await you.
How is Russia losing money due to the war in Ukraine?
-
The Moscow Times notes that Russia's coal industry is in deep crisis, with 62 enterprises in the “red zone”, 20 of which have suspended production. The Russian coal industry is expected to lose more than 1 trillion rubles by 2026 due to sanctions, loss of export markets and reduced imports from China.
-
Russia's metallurgy industry is also on the brink of crisis due to falling domestic demand and limited export revenues. The industry is pressured by the Central Bank's high key rate and a strong ruble.
-
By the way, Channel 24 previously wrote about major problems in the Russian defense-industrial complex. Enterprises, in particular, the Central Scientific Research Institute “Volna” and “Tesla”, are reporting salary delays, employee layoffs, and risks of bankruptcy.