'Dr Illarionov suggested that President Putin was prepared to endure a hit to the economy that shows where his priorities lie.
"His territorial ambitions, his imperial ambitions, are much more important than anything else, including the livelihood of the Russian population and of the financial situation in the country... even the financial state of the his government," he said.''A "real embargo" on Russian energy by Western countries could stop war in Ukraine, President Putin's former chief economic adviser has suggested.
Dr Andrei Illarionov said Russia "did not take seriously" other countries' threats to reduce their energy usage.
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Dr Illarionov said if Western countries "would try to implement a real embargo on oil and gas exports from Russia... I would bet that probably within a month or two, Russian military operations in Ukraine, probably will be ceased, will be stopped".
"It's one of the very effective instruments still in the possession of the Western countries," he added.
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Dr Illarionov suggested that President Putin was prepared to endure a hit to the economy that shows where his priorities lie.
"His territorial ambitions, his imperial ambitions, are much more important than anything else, including the livelihood of the Russian population and of the financial situation in the country... even the financial state of the his government," he said.
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President Putin's former adviser Dr Andrei Illarionov said a change of government is inevitable "sooner or later".
He said "it is absolutely impossible to have any positive future for Russia, with the current political regime".
Under President Putin, he suggested, "there is no way that country might be integrated back into the international relations, in the world economy".'
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Full embargo on oil could stop war - ex-Putin aide, April 10, 2022
Context(Mandela)(UN Responsibility to protect (R2P))(Russia commits crimes against humanity in Ukraine) - Shield against drones, aircraft, missiles, rockets and mortars (air exclusion zone)(Total blockade & isolation of Russia) - Expel Russia from the WTO