Overview
- Russia’s spokesman said a businessman, not Vladimir Putin, proposed a large donation during a closed meeting held alongside the main industry lobby’s annual congress.
- Officials said any gifts would not fund the war and cast the idea as a personal duty for tycoons who built fortunes in the 1990s.
- The Financial Times and The Bell reported that Putin sought “voluntary contributions” to bolster the budget and that billionaire Suleiman Kerimov pledged about 100 billion rubles.
- Those outlets also said metals magnate Oleg Deripaska backed the plan and linked the idea to Rosneft chief Igor Sechin, a claim the Kremlin rejected.
- Separate reporting pointed to a wider squeeze on finances, with a possible 10% cut to non‑sensitive spending and new powers to place firms under external administration if they miss state orders under martial law.