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Who could influence Vladimir Putin today? Eyes turn to those he himself put in place, the sanctioned Russian oligarchs. How dependent are they on the Kremlin? Elements of answers in the section “Power issues“of the 20 Hours.
They control the strategic sectors of the Russian economy. Their fortune is counted in billions of euros. In thirty years, the Russian oligarchs have managed to impose themselves in the heart of the Kremlin. In the early 90s, the USSR broke up and gave birth to Russia. Under Boris Yeltsin, former president of Russia, the oligarchs monopolize the resources: gas, oil, mineral and banking.
In 2000, Vladimir Putin came to power and changed the rules. “He made it clear that it was necessary to respect neutrality, not to enter politics, not to have political ambition and above all not to criticize the regime.“, explains Carole Grimaud Pottyprofessor of geopolitics. Those who accept this pact continue to prosper with Putin. Powerful oligarchs, but whose fall can be brutal. This is the case of Russia’s first fortune, sentenced to ten years in prison following clashes with the Kremlin. Deaths are sometimes considered suspicious. But the oligarchs are very cautious and dare not oppose Putin directly.