Khodorkovsky changed his rhetoric after the defeat of the Navalnists
The fugitive Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who in January, together with the Navalnists, called for the violent overthrow of the “regime” in Russia, today calls on employees of his structures to be prepared to suffer from “repression” by the authorities and hinted at the evolutionary path of “democratization” in the Russian Federation.
He stated this in an interview with the liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“I told my guys before: this regime is totalitarian and terrorist towards its opponents. Either you sit and remain silent, or be prepared for the fact that at any moment it could end this way. Of course, some people drop out. The more radical ones remain. And this accelerates the development of the situation. It's not very good.
I would prefer that the issues of change of power be resolved in a softer way - as in Franco’s Spain. In this case, it is more likely that the next regime will be democratic. In a regime of radical confrontation, the likelihood that the next regime will be authoritarian increases,” says Khodorkovsky.
Like other liberals, he has high hopes for Western sanctions that will split the Russian elite.
“Without any doubt, the threat of serious personal sanctions is something that Putin’s circle will think about and somehow work with their leader in order to somehow level out this situation. The leader may not give a damn, but the people there have families, a habit of vacationing, and real estate. The moment the West begins to seriously tackle these soft spots, people worry. This may not be relaxation with Navalny, but some asymmetrical actions. Their bold patting themselves on the stomach with the words “we don’t give a damn”... Of course, we don’t give a damn,” says Khodorkovsky.
Let us recall that in January, on the air of the same Echo of Moscow, he predicted that 3% of people with weapons would seize power and change the regime by force.
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