Exiled Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is sending signals to U.S. President Donald Trump indicating his willingness to strike a deal over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
According to Khodorkovsky, such a deal could involve territorial concessions in favor of Russia.
“I have the impression that Putin has sent Trump a signal that he is ready for an agreement,” said Khodorkovsky.
He added that Putin aims to seize full control of Donbas, including areas not yet occupied by Russian forces, while also seeking territorial gains in eastern Ukraine to further destabilize the rest of the country, Sky News reports.
In an earlier interview, Khodorkovsky also criticized the diplomatic capacity of the United Kingdom, arguing that British diplomacy has lost the deep expertise on Russia it once had.
He further noted that any deal excluding Ukraine and the Western allies would be a major strategic mistake:
“If Trump negotiates and signs an agreement without the participation of Ukraine and the West, that in my opinion would be a huge mistake.”
Khodorkovsky also mentioned the personal risks he faces if he were to return to Russia, revealing that the Kremlin has filed new charges against him, which, as he warned, “could imply the use of violence against me even outside Russia.”
