Kremlin - Yukos: War Goes On

The Yukos case has reached the home stretch and the Kremlin is being faced with the problem of what to do about Mikhail Khodorkovsky. In June Vladimir Putin will to a G-8 summit where his counterparts may express their concern over the way the authorities in Russia deal with uncooperative business. In addition, Yukos's Western shareholders are greatly concerned that, should the company be destroyed, they could sustain colossal losses. They are pressuring their respective governments to influence the Russian president.
So it is in fact in Putin's interests to bring the Yukos case to a close as soon as possible. There are two options here.

The first is to convict Khodorkovsky and liquidate the company by proving in court that it is guilty of numerous financial machinations. Everyone is morally prepared for this outcome which is unlikely to provoke a new wave of indignation within the Russian establishment.

The second is to make a fine gesture, a royal gesture, and let Khodorkovsky go, say, by giving him a suspended sentence. The ground for this move has already been laid by Khodorkovsky's two letters from jail that were widely seen as an act of repentance.

Which option Putin will use is anybody's guess.

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