What is Putin seeking?

A prominent opposition figure shared his impressions of the recent telephone conversation between the Russian dictator and the American leader.

"I have the impression that Putin has sent a signal to Trump that he is ready for a deal. Putin wants to get all of Donbas, those parts of it that he has not yet occupied," Khodorkovsky said.

In his opinion, such territorial "compromises", if Kyiv still agrees to them, will be used by Putin to destabilize the situation in the rest of Ukraine.

Against the backdrop of recent events, the Russian oppositionist also harshly criticized the diplomatic capabilities of the United Kingdom.

He drew attention to the fact that official London has lost expert knowledge about Russia and is unable to effectively influence the Kremlin or support the Russian opposition.

He believes that by exerting psychological pressure on Putin, in particular through the consolidation of the opposition, it is possible to gain influence on key points of the conflict.

Stopping this war… would be much more important than waiting a few more years for Putin to leave the scene, Khodorkovsky believes.