Kremlin critic warns Europe to prepare for Cold War II
3941 Min Read
Exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky has warned Europe to prepare for a decade-long standoff with Russia, regardless of the outcome of Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Speaking at a private event in Brussels, the former oil tycoon predicted a new “Cold War lasting at least ten years,” arguing that deterrence will depend solely on President Vladimir Putin’s belief that the West poses a credible military threat.
Khodorkovsky, once Russia’s richest man and now based in London after spending ten years in prison under Putin’s rule, said Western sanctions have only limited impact, creating “some pressure on the Russian economy, but nothing dramatic.” He was equally dismissive of Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, noting that even large strikes damage only small areas compared to vast industrial facilities.
European and NATO leaders have voiced similar concerns that Moscow is reviving Cold War-style tactics, using hybrid warfare to undermine Western unity. Khodorkovsky added that the only real chance to weaken Putin’s grip came in the first two years of the full-scale invasion, if Russia had faced a decisive military defeat in Ukraine.
