Putin’s closed-door meeting with Russian business: We will fight
On 6 March, following the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), Russian dictator Vladimir Putin held a closed-door meeting with representatives of big business. The meeting focused on the continuation of the war and its financing.
According to Censor.NET, the opposition publication The Bell reports this, citing sources.
"We will fight" and funding proposals
According to the publication’s sources, Putin explicitly told the business community that hostilities would continue.
"They said, 'We will fight'," one of the sources recounts the conversation.
Another source claims that Putin also voiced his intention to "reach the borders of Donbas". Following this, he said, a proposal was made to business leaders to make voluntary contributions to the budget.
It is noted that the idea of raising additional funds from the business community allegedly came from "Rosneft" CEO Igor Sechin, who had previously sent a letter to Putin on the matter. Among the possible mechanisms under consideration was the issuance of federal military bonds.
According to sources, some businessmen agreed to contribute to the funding during the meeting itself. In particular, Suleyman Kerimov allegedly promised to contribute 100 billion roubles. Another major businessman also supported the idea, though he did not specify an amount.
Public statements and the official version
RSPP head Alexander Shokhin, commenting on the meeting’s outcome, stated that issues regarding the regulation of artificial intelligence, the platform economy and the protection of entrepreneurs’ rights were discussed. According to him, Putin also expressed his views on the international situation and the possible development of conflicts in the Middle East.
At the same time, Shokhin conveyed the president’s economic message: he urged business and the government not to count on long-term growth in revenues linked to the war and market conditions, emphasising the need for a "moderate conservative approach" in economic policy.
"The president said he hopes that in the coming weeks, three to four weeks, the crisis will likely be resolved. He strongly advised the Ministry of Finance and companies not to count on the ‘windfall’ lasting long," said Shokhin.
