Russia needs more and more resources to continue its aggression in Ukraine. Now it's the turn of the Russian oligarchs, who will be told by Vladimir Putin how much they need to pay for a war that drains Russia's resources.

Timur Olevsky, a Russian opposition journalist and editor of The Insider, told Channel 24 about this. In his opinion, in the near future the aggressor country may introduce a tax on war.

Left no choice

The journalist believes that in the near future, Russians who have a huge fortune that they received before Putin came to power, or during his leadership of Russia, it does not matter, will have to fork out a lot.

In addition, they will have to make it very clear that he pays for Putin's military campaign with the taxes of his companies. And this means that every person who has paid this tax will not even be able to think that he will ever be able to get out of Western sanctions,” Olevsky emphasized.

He added that if they are not yet under sanctions, then having paid this tax, they will definitely end up there. After all, this is the direct financing of the war.

The “stretch” on which Putin is now putting the oligarchs is very powerful. He leaves them no choice,” the oppositionist said.

The oligarchs will have to accept Putin's conditions

Olevsky recalled that some Russian oligarchs tried to jump off Putin's hook.

A loud scandal broke out with letters in defense of Alfa Group, in particular Fridman and Aven. They have been living in London since the beginning of the war. They did not speak out against the war, as another Russian oligarch, Tinkov, did. However, they tried very hard to get out of the sanctions,” he said.

According to him, Putin sent them “hello” during a speech before the Federal Assembly, saying that they did not want to be in the same boat with me, and now they are taking away yachts and palaces from you.

Now they will have to sell part of Alfa Group in order to get out of the sanctions,” he said.

The journalist believes that the oligarchs remaining in Russia will have to agree to Putin's conditions. And later, many of them will sell everything in favor of another part of these oligarchs.

How Putin is going to take money from Russian oligarchs: watch the video

There is a circle very close to Putin, which, to the last, will maintain its standard of living on unchanged funds, first ordinary people, then the middle class, and then their colleagues, the oligarchs. And in the end they will have to “eat” each other, he suggested.

In his opinion, the situation in the Russian economy is very bad, because, despite the assurances of oil sellers, how well they give it to India and China. But the discount at which they do it is incredible. Therefore, it is obvious that Russia is now losing very large funds.

“The consequences of this are spreading all over the world. Therefore, there are attempts by Russia to negotiate with China in order to get rid of the economic clutches in which it has fallen,” Timur Olevsky noted.

What is happening in the Russian elites

• For the first time since the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will meet with the oligarchs. Former KGB officer and Russian foreign intelligence service Sergey Zhirnov believes that the dictator can ask them for money and support for the war in Ukraine.
• Russian opposition politician Gennady Gudkov noted that Russian elites have experienced very significant damage and big problems as a result of Russia's war against Ukraine. Now they are exiles all over the world. And the situation around them will only get worse.
• US journalist and analyst Armen Chibukhchan believes that Putin is very dependent on Russian elites. And especially businesses that can rely on financially. Moreover, the Russian dictator is afraid of this environment, and therefore allows him to increase his fortune in the conditions of war and, in fact, the financial crisis in Russia.