Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a critic of the Kremlin, predicts a long-lasting confrontation with Russia and emphasizes that Western sanctions will not quickly change Putin's regime.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, former oligarch and critic of the Kremlin, warns Europe that it must prepare for a long-term confrontation with Russia, regardless of the outcome of the war in Ukraine. He estimates that Russia will need decades to overcome Vladimir Putin's imperialist narrative. Khodorkovsky anticipates a situation similar to the Cold War, which could last at least 10 years, and emphasizes that the only deterrent against Russian aggression would be a credible military threat from the West.

He believes that the sanctions imposed on Russia have a limited impact and that Ukraine's strategy of using drones against Russian infrastructure will not significantly paralyze the Kremlin's war machinery. Khodorkovsky states that the moment when Putin could have been vulnerable was missed, and Russian tradition suggests that dictators remain in power until an advanced age. He has also recently been targeted by accusations from the Kremlin, which accused him of leading a terrorist organization.

Khodorkovsky expresses optimism regarding a return to a post-Putin Russia, but acknowledges that his generation will not live to see a normalized Russian society. He believes that the process of change will take decades, but remains motivated by the prospect of a better future for Russia.