Mikhail Fridman, certainly one of Russia’s richest males, mentioned the warfare in Ukraine was a “tragedy” and known as on the “bloodshed” to finish after president Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of the nation.
In a letter despatched to workers at his London-headquartered non-public fairness agency LetterOne on Friday and seen by the Monetary Instances, the billionaire mentioned he was “satisfied” that “warfare can by no means be the reply.”
“I used to be born in Western Ukraine and lived there till I used to be 17. My mother and father are Ukrainian residents and reside in Lviv, my favorite metropolis,” Fridman wrote within the e mail. “However I’ve additionally spent a lot of my life as a citizen of Russia, constructing and rising companies. I’m deeply hooked up to Ukrainian and Russian peoples and see the present battle as a tragedy for them each.”
Fridman continued: “I don’t make political statements, I’m a businessman with duties to my many hundreds of staff in Russia and Ukraine. I’m satisfied nevertheless that warfare can by no means be the reply. This disaster will value lives and injury two nations who’ve been brothers for a whole lot of years.”
“Whereas an answer appears frighteningly far off, I can solely be a part of these whose fervent want is for the bloodshed to finish. I’m positive my companions share my view.”
The Ukraine-born Fridman, who usually avoids making political statements, is the primary Russian businessman to talk out towards the battle amid preparations for intensive US, UK, and EU sanctions towards oligarchs with important presences within the west.
Fridman divides his time between Moscow, the place the Russian version of Forbes estimates his fortune at $15.5bn, and London. The Sunday Instances ranked him because the UK’s eleventh richest man final yr.
Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch who owns Chelsea Soccer Membership, mentioned on Saturday that he was ceding “stewardship” of the English Premier League membership to its charitable basis.
Although a number of outstanding Russians have expressed their opposition to the warfare, they’ve largely come from the ranks of entertainers such because the actress Liya Akhedzhakova, TV presenter Ivan Urgant, and journalists together with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov.
Like Fridman, many of the celebrities have prevented criticising Putin instantly or blaming Russia for beginning the warfare, as a substitute selecting to name for a extra common finish to hostilities.
Fridman and his companions personal Alfa-Financial institution, Russia’s largest privately held financial institution, in addition to grocery store chain X5, the nation’s largest, and cell provider Veon.
Their significance to Russia’s economic system was underlined on Thursday when Petr Aven, Fridman’s enterprise associate, attended a roundtable of high oligarchs and state firm heads within the Kremlin, the place Putin defined his rationale for beginning the battle and mentioned measures to mitigate western sanctions.
Fridman, who confirmed to the FT he despatched the e-mail, can be an essential determine in Ukraine, the place Alfa-Financial institution is without doubt one of the nation’s largest lenders, and he’s funding a memorial to the Babiy Yar bloodbath of Jews by Nazi Germany in the course of the second world warfare.
The US and EU put Alfa-Financial institution underneath sanctions that limit its capability to boost debt financing on worldwide markets however don’t go so far as the measures used to dam main state lenders reminiscent of VTB from the worldwide monetary system.
After promoting their stake in oil main TNK-BP to state-run large Rosneft for $14bn in 2013, Fridman and his companions arrange LetterOne, which is predominantly centered on power and expertise investments.
Its holdings additionally embody Holland & Barrett, one of many largest well being meals retailers in Europe, which it acquired in 2017 for £1.8bn.
John Browne, the previous chief govt of BP, served as chair to L1’s power unit for six years earlier than stepping down final yr.
Final yr, Fridman instructed the FT the final setting within the UK for oligarchs had “deteriorated due to the stand-off between Russia and the west,” however added that “on a private stage, it’s change into a bit extra pleasant, as a result of individuals made a distinction between the final Russian oligarchs label and us personally.”