Anatoly Chubais, Russia’s climate envoy and a major architect of Russia’s reforms following the fall of the Soviet Union has quit his position. This resignation marks the highest-profile protest by a Russian over Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Danil Bochkov, a Russia-Europe-China expert tweeted: “Russian climate envoy and 1990s reformer Anatoly Chubais has stepped down and left the country, citing his opposition to operation in Ukraine, becoming the highest-level official to break with the Kremlin over Ukraine.”
Previously, Mr Chubais served as the former President Boris Yeltsin’s chief of staff.
Sources claim that Mr Chubais resigned from his post as Mr Putin’s special representative over ties with international organisations.
Days after he quit as the head of state technology firm RUSNANO, which he had run since 2008, he was appointed with this role.
At that position, he was tasked with “achieving goals of sustainable development”.
The source anonymously told Reuters that Mr Chubais resigned over the conflict in Ukraine, and does not intend to return to Russia.
Other reports suggest he has since been spotted withdrawing cash from an ATM machine in Istanbul, well over 1,000 miles away from Moscow.
Hmm friends would always stick to each other and fight.