Vladimir Putin recently addressed leading Russian businessmen with a proposal to support the financing of military needs, which, according to experts, may indicate a breach of agreements made with oligarchs at the beginning of his presidency. This conclusion was drawn by analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War in their report dated March 27.
This is reported by Finway
Breach of Old Agreements and New Demands
At a meeting with Russian oligarchs, Putin urged them to provide financial support to the state, although back in 2000 he promised the business community that he would not nationalize their assets as long as they did not interfere in politics and remained loyal to the president. He also guaranteed the preservation of the privatization of property that took place in the 1990s. However, analysts report that in recent years, the Kremlin has consistently intensified its course towards gradual nationalization, especially during the full-scale war against Ukraine.
“Putin’s likely request to leading Russian businessmen to donate money to the Russian state threatens to breach the promise not to nationalize the assets of Russian oligarchs, which he made to them shortly after coming to power.”
Kremlin’s Response and Business Position
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied Putin’s demand for mandatory financial support, but emphasized that many businessmen who started their activities in the 1990s “consider it their duty” to assist the state financially. Experts estimate that such statements and the mention of privatization may indicate an attempt to impose a behavioral model on businesses that the Russian government expects in the context of increased censorship.
Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War also note that the Kremlin is intensifying repression against internet resources, particularly Telegram, in an effort to neutralize the influence of businesses that could resist attempts at nationalization by utilizing the information space.
According to sources, at a closed meeting, Putin suggested that businessmen make voluntary contributions to the budget to finance the war. It is rumored that the idea of involving businesses in financing military needs belongs to Igor Sechin, head of Rosneft, who outlined it in a letter to the president. Some participants in the meeting, including Suleiman Kerimov, immediately agreed to the proposal, promising to contribute significant amounts—up to 100 billion rubles.
It is noted that the details of such meetings in the Kremlin are not disclosed, and since the start of the war against Ukraine, the list of participants has been kept secret.