The mood of the so-called Russian elite—senior officials, business executives, journalists and intellectuals—has been closely watched for any backlash to Putin's war. If their dismay at Russia's global isolation were to cross a threshold, some Western officials believe, Putin might be forced to change course. But so far there's one common mood: that the country's future is out of their hands
Alexander Y. Lebedev looks like a prime target for sanctions meant to prompt Russia’s elites to turn against the Kremlin. He is a onetime billionaire and a former KGB agent with deep connections both in Russia’s ruling class and in the West; his son owns British newspapers and is a member of the House of Lords.
But Lebedev has a message for anyone expecting him to now try to bring down President Vladimir Putin: “It’s not going to work.”
In that matter, he insists, he is powerless. “What, am I supposed to now go to the Kremlin with a banner?” Lebedev said by video call from Moscow. “It’s more likely to be the opposite.”
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