Oleg Tinkov, the wealthy founder of a major Russian digital bank, has slammed Russia’s “crazy war” in Ukraine, pleading with the West to assist President Vladimir Putin in finding a way to “end this carnage.”
Russia has been waging a savage war on its neighbour for for two months. According to UN agencies, tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens have been killed or injured, and millions have left the nation.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the Russian billionaire, who created Tinkoff Bank in 2006, said that 90 percent of Russians were opposed to the war and that Kremlin officials were shocked that they would no longer be able to spend their summers in the Mediterranean.
He wrote, “I don’t see a single benefit of this foolish conflict.”
On March 24, the United Kingdom sanctioned 65 persons and businesses for “helping Russia’s illegitimate incursion.” According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, he controls 35% of Tinkoff Bank’s parent company, TCS Group, and is worth $3.5 billion.
Russian deposits worth $300 billion have been blocked as a result of Western sanctions, plunging the country’s economy into a severe recession. Hundreds of international companies have left the country, and the European Union has banned Russian flights and aircraft from its airspace.
“Civil employees in the Kremlin are shocked that not only them, but even their children, will not be travelling to the Mediterranean this summer. Businessmen are attempting to salvage all they can of their assets “he penned.
He went on to say, “Please be more sensible and humane.”
Tinkov’s request for peace comes after other Russian business leaders have made similar pleas.
Lukoil, a Russian oil company, has urged for an end to the Ukraine war. Following Russia’s invasion in late February, oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska came out against the violence.
In a message to staff, Fridman, who was born in western Ukraine, expressed his desire for the “bloodshed to halt.” In a Telegram post, Deripaska said: “It is critical to maintain peace! The negotiations must begin as soon as feasible!”
And, only two weeks ago, the head of the Russian metals company Rusal called for an independent probe of the deaths of civilians in Bucha during Russian soldiers’ occupancy.
