Come on, what kind of oligarch is he?! – Peskov covered up compatriot Friedman
The Kremlin does not consider the return of Alfa Group co-owner Mikhail Fridman to Russia as something unusual.
This was announced today by the press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“He is not an oligarch. This is a completely wrong interpretation. This is an entrepreneur, a big businessman. There are smaller businessmen who also go abroad and then return. This is a normal process. Russian citizens have the right to move around the world, but they have one homeland,” Peskov said.
Previously, he promised state support to another co-owner of Alfa Group, Alexei Kuzmichev, who was arrested in France on suspicion of money laundering and evading sanctions, “if that is his desire.”
Friedman returned to Moscow from Israel in October, ostensibly temporarily, after Britain and the United States tightened sanctions against him.
Peskov's words outraged many in Russia. After all, Fridman, a native of Lvov, is known for financing nationalist projects in Ukraine. For the sake of lifting sanctions, he was ready to finance the Armed Forces of Ukraine already during the Northern Military District and negotiated with the fugitive Navalnists.
“If there is one Motherland, it is clearly not Russia. And if Friedman has a business, then this business is called, in my deep conviction, usury. But this, however, is only my humble opinion. And I, obviously, am not one of the people “socially close” to Mr. Peskov…” wrote Russian State Duma deputy Nina Ostanina in her tg channel.
“Well, we are waiting for Alla Pugacheva, Slepakov, Galkin, Khasbik, Dudya and other Panins. There is only one homeland, and whoever does not agree to return will be quoted the parable “About the Prodigal Son,” indignant military correspondent German Kulikovsky.
Publicist Sergei Mardan recalls that for some reason Friedman flew to Mongolia when State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin was on an official visit to this country.
“Mikhail Maratovich decided everything, naturally, before moving to Russia. It was not for nothing that he went on a trip to Mongolia. Russia has no right to prohibit its citizens not only from moving around the world, but also from donating 200 million euros to Ukraine for the war with Russia. True, there are some doubts about what kind of homeland Friedman has,” writes Mardan.
“Peskov’s traumatic and persistent public love for Friedman is ridiculous. He thinks she is noble and aristocratic. But she is just shameful and funny. The funny thing is that Peskov is confident that he will not repeat the fate of Friedman, who on the same day bitterly regretted his London choice. An amazing person,” says historian Modest Kolerov.
Earlier, Friedman told the American news agency Bloomberg that the return to Russia would be short-term. After the end of the war with Tel Aviv and Hamas, he intended to spend most of his time in Israel. He also denied information that he was going to sell his stake in Alfa Bank and “considered his investment in the UK a mistake.”
“All the talk about the fact that Nazi-supporting Aven and Fridman have long since left the capital of the Russian Alfa-Bank turns out to be ordinary bullshit,” commented Russian State Duma deputy and economist Mikhail Khazin on this information.
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