The Russian oligarch, owner of one of the most important chains in Spain, relieves pressure in the West by distancing himself from the aggression against Ukraine.
In a letter sent to employees of LetterOne, the DIA supermarket parent company,
Mikhail Fridman
, assures that "war is never the answer" and maintains that "this bloodshed must end".
DIA sources assure this newspaper that the letter has been addressed to employees of the parent company, but they highlight the relevance of their position distancing themselves from the president of their country,
Vladimir Putin
.
He is the first tycoon who criticizes the invasion of the country by him.
"I do not make political statements, I am a businessman with responsibilities to my many thousands of employees in Russia and Ukraine. However, I am convinced that war can never be the answer. This crisis
will cost lives and harm two nations
that have been sisters for hundreds of years," criticizes Fridman, who himself is of Ukrainian origin, although of Russian nationality.
"Although a solution seems terrifyingly remote right now, I can only join those whose fervent wish
is that the bloodshed ends
."
Only the 80% that he controls in DIA through Letter One is currently worth 1,200 million
and is one of the great fortunes of Russia.
In that country, it has a monopoly on supermarkets that is difficult to achieve if you are not part of the elite close to Putin.
Friedman is one of a number of Russian oligarchs under pressure from UK sanctions in retaliation against Russian aggression in Ukraine.
In the European Union, the focus has not yet been placed on these oligarchs.
Fridman approaches his position not out of pragmatism, but out of personal sentiment.
"I was born in western Ukraine and lived there until I was 17 years old.
My parents are Ukrainian citizens
and live in Lviv, my favorite city. But I have also spent much of my life as a citizen of Russia, building and growing companies. I am deeply attached to the Ukrainian and Russian peoples and I see the current conflict as a tragedy for both".
The sanctions are already affecting Fridman's empire, which is one of the shareholders of Alpha Bank, the largest private bank in Russia.
One of his associates Petr Aven was one of Putin's select guests from the business elite to whom he explained the invasion.
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