Former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who served 10 years in prison on tax and fraud charges that many believe were politically motivated, spoke to FRANCE 24 from London, where he now lives in exile. Khodorkovsky said that while a "direct confrontation with NATO" was not part of Russian President Vladimir Putin's plan, Putin will be emboldened enough if Russia succeeds in Ukraine that NATO borders will "no longer be an obstacle" to his ambitions.
Khodorkovsky – once Russia's richest man and the founder of Open Russia, an alliance of progressive Russians – said Putin has no choice but to see the invasion of Ukraine through to the end to satisfy his political base of "patriotic nationalists".
