19 June 2004 08:13
Gulf News says: Putin must crack the whip gently
Even as Russian President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on Russian oligarchs continues, brows are furrowing in the
financial community and the intelligentsia about the negative fallout on the economy. Specifically, the effect
Putin's witch-hunt might have on potential foreign investors.
Still, the pressure being put on Russian billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky reflects Putin's concern over the
extent to which the oligarchs control the Russian economy.
Khodorkovsky's firm, Yukos Oil, for instance, handles one-fifth of the country's oil exports. To be sure,
Putin is sending a powerful message to the oligarchs. Russians will be hoping that foreign investors will not read
anything into it.
[Gulf News] |
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