Two top Russian oligarchs called for end to Vladimir Putin's assault on Ukraine

Mikhail Fridman, 57, born in western Ukraine, called for the 'bloodshed' to end

Oleg Deripaska, 54, who has had sanctions imposed by US, also made statement

Comes as oligarchs face economic chaos after West imposed severe sanctions

Two Russian billionaires have become the first powerful oligarchs to speak out and call for an end to the conflict triggered by President Vladimir Putin's assault on Ukraine.

Mikhail Fridman, who was born in western Ukraine, and Oleg Deripaska have condemned Putin's invasion by calling for peace talks 'as fast as possible' between the two countries in an unusual intervention from Russia's leading business elite.

Mr Fridman, who is a co-founder of Russia’s largest private bank Alfa and controls private equity firm LetterOne, called for the 'bloodshed' to end.

The 57-year-old, who was ranked as the 128th richest person in the world by Forbes in 2021, also said the war was a 'tragedy' for both countries' people and told LetterOne staff in a letter that the conflict was driving a wedge between the two eastern Slav peoples of Russia and Ukraine, who have been brothers for centuries.

He wrote: 'I was born in Western Ukraine and lived there until I was 17. My parents are Ukrainian citizens and live in Lviv, my favourite city.

'But I have also spent much of my life as a citizen of Russia, building and growing businesses. I am deeply attached to the Ukrainian and Russian peoples and see the current conflict as a tragedy for them both.'

Meanwhile billionaire Mr Deripaska - who is the founder of Russian aluminium giant Rusal in which he still owns a stake via his shares in its parent company En+ Group - used a post on Telegram to called for peace talks to begin 'as fast as possible'.

The 54-year-old simply said: 'Peace is very important.'

Russia's so-called oligarchs, who once exercised significant influence over President Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s, are facing economic chaos after the West imposed severe sanctions on Russia over Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10558873/Two-Russian-billionaires-break-ranks-call-peace-talks-fast-possible.html

I won't be surprised if this war ends in a régime change in Russia, Putin miscalculated the oligarchs are not ready to bear burnt of his miscalculation, shouldn't have invaded Ukraine under any pretext

Putin biggest treat is not from the West or outside, it's from his own people, if they turn against he's finished you can't fight your own people that's why the West is hitting Russia with sanctions not because they believe it will affect Putin but for Russian to start putting pressure on Putin