A Russian oligarch living in the United Kingdom says he is worried he won't be able to live a 'normal life' and take people out to restaurants with his monthly allowance.
London-based businessman Mikhail Fridman's worth was estimated to be around £7.8 billion (NZ$14.7 billion) before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Now his credit cards are blocked and he is barred from travelling to other European countries as a part of the UK's sanctions on Russia in support of Ukraine.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper El Pais, Fridman compared his situation to "house arrest", complaining he only receives a "limited" amount of money for taxis and food.
"I still don’t know whether it will be enough to live a normal life without excesses. I can’t even take anyone out to a restaurant," he told the outlet.
"I have to eat at home and I am practically under house arrest."
The 57-year-old founder of the Russian bank Alfa Bank has previously told Bloomberg he needed to apply to the UK Government to receive around £2,500 a month ($4700 NZD).
Fridman told El Pais it was "idiotic" to believe that Russian oligarchs can force Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war, believing the sanctions on people are counterproductive because they push Russian entrepreneurs back to Russia.
"I have been in London for eight years, I have invested billions of dollars in Great Britain and other European countries, and the response to this is that they seize everything from me and throw me out," he told the outlet.
Fridman said he wants the West to understand that there are different types of Russians and they shouldn't all be punished.
