Masha Lipman Washington Post, June 16
"Mr Khodorkovsky's path to wealth may have been murky, but in this he was not different from other Russian
tycoons. The transition from a nationalised economy to market capitalism was bound to be neither fair nor pretty. What
set Mr Khodorkovsky apart was that after several years of predatory capitalist practices, he opted for business
transparency and launched a large-scale philanthropy focused on development of civil society. Now Russian capitalists
know better than to sponsor any organisation that looks even vaguely political.
"Mr Khodorkovsky had emerged as too big, and increasingly independent, a political and economic player. The
Russian state came to regard him as a strong rival who had to be dealt with. Mr Putin's way of dealing with him was
to destroy him. Russia is paying a very high price for its president's victory."
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RUSSIA IN FACTS
