MOSCOW, Russia – Exiled Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky said that Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled to former US President Donald Trump his willingness to reach an agreement on the war in Ukraine, contingent on the agreement including territorial concessions to Moscow.
Sky News interview
In an interview with Sky News, Khodorkovsky explained that Putin seeks complete control over the Donbas region.
Including the parts still outside his control. He believed that the Russian president intends to use these territorial gains to “destabilize the situation in the rest of Ukraine.”
Khodorkovsky, the former CEO of the Russian oil company Yukos, added that the Kremlin is exploiting the West’s lack of a deep understanding of the nature of the Russian system. He said, “What Britain lacks today is a deep understanding of Russia. The reality is that Russia needs a strategic approach to understand its complexities.”
“It’s an understanding she had about thirty years ago.” These statements came in reference to the decline in strategic expertise in dealing with Moscow within the United Kingdom.
Strengthening London’s role in supporting Kyiv
In this context, Khodorkovsky called on British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to strengthen London’s role in supporting Kyiv. He emphasized the importance of engaging with Russian dissidents as part of the strategy to pressure Putin. Russia plays a significant role in these dynamics.
“It makes sense for the UK to also engage with people who have the expertise and are natural allies of the UK government,” he said.
Khodorkovsky emphasized that psychological and political pressure on Putin should focus on creating internal crises for him. He noted that “uniting the Russian opposition” is one effective means in this direction.
He believed that the essence of the conflict was not just the war, but “Putin himself.”
ورغم ذلك، شدد في ختام حديثه على أن أولوية المجتمع الدولي يجب أن تكون إنهاء الحرب في أوكرانيا. وأكد قائلا: “وقف الحرب أهم بكثير من انتظار رحيل بوتين عن المشهد”.
