Vladimir Putin has asked oligarchs to donate to Russia’s budget in a bid to stabilise the country’s finances as he presses on with his invasion of Ukraine, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The comments by Russia’s president to a large group of prominent businessmen on Thursday made it clear that he is intent on pursuing the war to a victorious end despite the growing strains on the Kremlin’s budget.
Russia will fight on, Putin said, until it captures the remaining areas of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region not under its control, according to two of the people. He said the decision was necessary because Ukraine had refused to withdraw unilaterally from the Donbas during recent rounds of talks brokered by the US, the people added.