When it comes to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, exiled Russian billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky stated Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has launched on a course that will lead to his demise."
The exiled billionaire also stated that he did not agree with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who suggested last month that in order to secure a peace agreement with Russia, Ukraine should consider giving up some of its land.
Vladimir Putin's Demise is Inevitable, Claims Exiled Oligarch
In 2003, Khodorkovsky was Russia's richest man, but he was sentenced to nine years in jail for fraud and tax evasion in a case he says was politically motivated. He is presently based in London. When his invasion of the Eastern European country in late February was met with a negative response from Ukrainians, the businessman said Putin got "literally insane," as per Newsweek.
In March, the exiled businessman stated that he believes Putin's demise is inevitable as long as the West supports Ukraine. Because both individuals are prominent opponents of Putin, the Russian authorities included Khodorkovsky and chess champion Gary Kasparov to the country's list of "foreign agents" last month.
The Russian Justice Ministry declared on its website at the time that Kasparov and Khodorkovsky were getting financing from Ukraine. In an interview published Sunday by the German publication Bild, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg indicated that Russia's war in Ukraine might go for years and that the endeavor needed Western backing.
In recent days, international leaders have shown their support for Ukraine, even urging that it join the European Union. In an interview with Germany's dpa news agency, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that the Group of Seven has vowed to defend Ukraine "for as long as necessary."
He said he intends to discuss the problem with his fellow G-7 leaders at a meeting set for this week, and that they aim to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin's objectives. On Friday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid a second surprise visit to Kyiv since the crisis began to provide sustained help and military training, USA Today reported.
Russian President Hits Back at Health Rumors
Meanwhile, an expert claims that Vladimir Putin has allayed several health issues by delivering a meandering and "impressive" 72-minute speech. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Americans of "declaring they are sent by God to Earth with their holy interests" in a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
All eyes were on the Kremlin brute, watching for any evidence that he could be dying of a disease. Unconfirmed reports of the Russian President's ailment have ranged from mental diseases to cancer to Parkinson's disease, as per Mirror.
While medical tests would confirm any anomalies, physicians have based their conclusions on his gestures during speeches. But today, Putin will have been eager to "play down the swirling suspicions about his health," according to Keir Giles, senior fellow of Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia Program.
"A 72-minute speech as a test of stamina, although not comparable to his earlier marathon press conferences, will nonetheless be noteworthy for those who believed he was on the verge of death," he concluded.
Putin stated in his address, which was delayed for an hour due to a suspected Ukrainian cyber assault, that Russia possesses hypersonic missiles that no one else in the world has, and that sanctions on Russia are a double-edged sword that would only damage the West.
While warnings of hypersonic weapons may appear to be concerning, Giles claims that the tone in the speech is strangely familiar. All Putin is doing, is "pushing Russia farther down the road of isolation and hostility," according to Giles.
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