Putin's Fierce Criticism: Chubais, Defectors, and Palaces
Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly criticized former ally Anatoly Chubais, who resigned as climate envoy and adviser to Putin last year in protest against the war in Ukraine. Putin mocked Chubais for "hiding" in Israel and suggested that his departure may be related to financial irregularities in the organization he headed. Putin also trolled another high-profile defector, Arkady Volozh, wishing him a "good life" in Israel after he condemned Russia's war against Ukraine. Putin claimed that the departure of cultural figures who left the country over the war was a positive outcome for Moscow.