War ‘never the answer’, Russian Jewish oligarch Mikhail Fridman tells staff
His intervention made him the first Russian businessman to speak out against President Vladimir Putin’s invasion
A Russian Jewish businessman has become one of the country’s first oligarchs to oppose his country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mikhail Fridman, who also holds Israeli citizenship, told employees of his equity firm LetterOne in a letter sent on Friday that “war can never be the answer”.
He wrote: “I was born in Western Ukraine and lived there until I was 17. My parents are Ukrainian citizens and live in Lviv, my favourite city.
“I have also spent much of my life as a citizen of Russia, building and growing businesses. I am deeply attached to Ukrainian and Russian peoples and see the current conflict as a tragedy for them both.”
The letter was first reported by the Financial Times.
His intervention made him the first Russian businessman to speak out against President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, which he launched last Thursday.
He was later joined in criticising the military action by Oleg Deripaska.
Roman Abramovich, another Russian businessman who also has extensive business interests, has not commented directly on the conflict but is understood to be in Belarus attempting to broker a ceasefire.
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