Anatoly Chubais, a former Russian envoy quit and fled from Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Last week he had hinted at his unhappiness with the situation.
Who is Anatoly Chubais?
Anatoly Chubais, the veteran Russian envoy resigned from his role as President Putin‘s special representative for ties with international organizations. The 66-year-old, appointed in 2020 is responsible for “achieving goals of sustainable development”. Prior to this, he was serving as the head of Rusnano, a state-woned technology firm since 2008. He has also served as the former President Boris Yeltsin’s chief of staff. He was also the first to give Putin a job at the Kremlin. Under Putin’s rule, he held several political and senior business posts.
Chubais is one of the main architects behind the former president’s economic reforms. Along with Yegor Gaidar, another noted Russian economist, he was vital in charting out Russia‘s transition into a post-soviet era. While some people were embracing his attempt at establishing a market in Russia, several people saw him as the Kremlin’s puppet. However, Anatoly Chubais has been calling for economic reforms. He was also one of the very few officials with close ties to his equals in the West.
Top Kremlins stepping down
Last week in a Facebook post marking the death anniversary of Gaidarm he hinted at his unhappiness with the current situation in Ukraine. Gaidar was a well-known critic of Putin’s regime. He wrote that Gaidar “understood the strategic risks better than I did and I was wrong”. However, he is not the only one to step down.
Arkady Dvorkovich, the former deputy prime minister also stepped down as the chair of Skolkovo Foundation, a state-run organization. Dvorkovich once serving as the senior economic advisor for former president Dmitry Medved also stated his opposition to the war. “Arkady Dvorkovich decided to terminate the powers of the chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation and focus on the development of educational projects,” stated Skolkovo on Friday.
