Russian oligarchs say Putin tricked them into supporting his war in Ukraine, per The New York Times.
When Putin announced the invasion, they were gathered before cameras "to tar everyone there," The Times reported.
In the weeks that followed, Russian businessmen were hit with heavy sanctions by Western countries.
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As the cracks in Russia's war on Ukraine deepen, Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the West are now saying Russian President Vladimir Putin tricked them into appearing to support his invasion of Ukraine, according to an extensive investigation published Saturday by The New York Times.
"Russian businesspeople, Russian officials, the Russian people — they saw a czar in him.
But Putin's war has increasingly become a point of pride for the Russian president, who seems to hope it will cement his glory in Russian history. »