Intro

Among the actions taken by the West to punish Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine is the blacklisting of the incredibly rich and politically connected Russian businessmen known as oligarchs.

But how could sanctions on Russia’s superwealthy increase the pressure on President Vladimir V. Putin to end the war?

Guest: Matt Apuzzo, a reporter for The New York Times, based in Brussels.

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Background reading: 

• For nearly a decade, sanctions have been little more than names on a list for wealthy Russians. Now, amid the war in Ukraine, governments are working to give them bite.
• Western investment, law and lobbying firms have previously helped enmesh oligarchs into financial and legal systems.

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