Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Russia must change its power structure to get back on a democratic path, opposition figure says
Russian businessman and opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky recently released a new book, “The Russia Conundrum: How the West Fell for Putin’s Power Gambit — and How to Fix It.” He spoke with The World’s host Marco Werman about Russia, President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin offers an early Christmas present to a man once considered his biggest rival
Mikhail Khodorkovsky has spent a decade in a Russian prison colony, convicted of tax fraud and other malfeasance. But before he went to jail, he was the richest man in Russia — viewed as a legitimate challenger to Vladimir Putin. Some have speculated it was that threat, more than any misdeeds, that sent him to prison. But Friday, Putin pardoned Khodorkovsky and released him from prison. That and more in today’s Global Scan.
For Vladimir Putin, it’s been a very good year
President Vladimir Putin is in a gracious mood this holiday season. And why not? He snubbed the US by taking in Edward Snowden, he kept the US and its allies out of Syria, and prevented Ukraine from drifting westward. Maybe that’s why he’s pardoning so many high-profile opponents.
Putin says he’s not interested in imposing his will on anyone — but a jailed businessman would beg to differ
A Russian-American journalist says Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is “ruining” the country. She says the case of imprisoned businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky is an example of how Putin quashes political dissent.
