Putin’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ summoned to put Russia before billionaire bank balances

Russian president Vladimir Putin is attempting to drum up some influence over rich and powerful Russians and has called on 12 oligarchs to do so.

Last week the despot summoned those rich and powerful Moscow residents to put patriotism ahead of profit and attempt to butter up the country following western sanctions.

Warmonger Putin raged in a meeting that the oligarchs had to prove they were a "real citizen of Russia" by acting "in its interests" rather than in the interest of their profits.

READ MORE: Kim Jong-un sparks WW3 fears as he prepares troops for 'immediate nuclear counterattack'

He fumed at a meeting of the Russian Union of Industrialists, with 11 of the 12 oligarchs Putin relies on already sanctioned by the west due to their close ties to the Russian despot.

Only one has yet to be sanctioned, Igor Zyuzin, the billionaire owner of Mechel mining company who had a rather public falling out with Putin in 2008, described as a "horrendous blow" to the mining money man.

Among those who were sanctioned though were Severstal shareholder and chairman Alexei Mordashov, who was previously tied to Rossiya Bank until western officials claimed he and Putin were using it as a personal money pot.

Mordashov, who described the war in Ukraine as a "tragedy for two fraternal relations" was sanctioned alongside Leonid M|ikhelson, the fossil fuels and Novatek founder, as well as Dmitry Mazepin, a mineral fertilizer businessman.

Controversial figure Vladimir Potanin was also on that list of sanctions, the man allegedly responsible for strong-armed tactics and the modern slate of oligarch figures.

• 

  Inside £250k 'Juicy Pink Princess palace' with toilet throne and ancient Egypt room

He is one of the few to have fallen to United States sanctions years before the war in Ukraine began, while Dmitry Pumpyansky was the first of the 12 oligarchs to receive sanctions from the USA.

Pumpyansky, the former owner of OAO TMK, a steel pipes company, had been sanctioned in 2017 while his super yacht was recently seized and sold off.

Andrey Melnichenko rounds off a list of the eight oligarchs who attended an opening meeting in February 24, 2022 that led to United States sanctions being held against them.

The Pumpyansky business partner, Menichenko, had described the sanctions as "absurd", Newsweek reported.

Three other men appeared on the list of Putin's oligarch allies, but did not attend that initial meeting days after the war in Ukraine began.

Oleg Deripaska was one of three men not present at the prior meeting, the Rusal company founder was sanctioned nearly a decade ago though, falling to United States scrutiny back in 2014.

German Khan was also noted at the meeting with Putin last week, as was Viktor Vekselberg, the pair heavily involved in despot Putin's tirades and warmongering ways.

Major business holders and billionaires were in attendance at the meeting last week, where Putin is believed to have asked each man to put the country before their profits.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.

READ NEXT:

• Buckingham Palace advertise 'job like no other' as King Charles seeks vegan chef
• Terrifying giant new 'trapdoor' spider discovered in Australia – and it bites
• Brit tourist in 'serious condition' after fall taking selfie from 'Cliff of Death'
• Vape shop branded 'disgusting' for name that appears to play on horrific sex crime
• Prince Andrew will 'dress up as royal for the day' at special event with King Charles

Source: Read Full Article