Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul proposed to give Russian businessmen the opportunity to achieve exclusion from international sanctions lists if a number of conditions are met. He voiced them in his blog on Substack.
According to the diplomat, it is necessary to impose sanctions against all Russian billionaires. At the same time, it is necessary to give them the right to choose and the possibility of exclusion from the sanctions lists.
“Now it is difficult to understand why some [billionaires] are sanctioned, while others are not. But after the sanctions are imposed, they should also be given the opportunity to withdraw from the sanctions list by condemning the war and personally [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, donating 50% of his fortune to the Fund for the Restoration of Ukraine and the Cessation of Investments in Russia,” he said.
At the same time, according to Michael McFaul, Russians holding public positions should also be given a “fair choice”: resign and avoid sanctions or continue working and get on the sanctions list.
The ex-ambassador also proposed to completely ban tourist trips for all Russian citizens “to Europe and other democratic countries,” or to include a fee for the restoration of Ukraine in the cost of visas.
Russia has been conducting a special military operation in Ukraine since February 24, 2022. President Vladimir Putin called its goal “the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.”
In turn, Western countries, including the United States, imposed extensive anti-Russian sanctions after Russia launched a special operation, including against a number of Russian politicians and businessmen. In particular, sanctions were imposed against the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov and his family members, CEO of Rostec Corporation Sergey Chemezov, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, President of Transneft Nikolay Tokarev, businessmen Evgeny Prigozhin, Boris and Arkady Rotenberg, Alisher Usmanov.