Putin Nixes Bid to Strip Yukos of Oil Fields
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From Times Wire Reports
President Vladimir V. Putin quashed a threat by Resource Minister Vitaly Artyukhov to strip the Yukos Oil Co. of lucrative oil fields. On a European tour to calm investors, Putin reiterated support for prosecutors who detained Yukos’ former chief executive, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, on fraud and tax evasion charges. But Putin said the state did not want to destroy the firm.
Many political analysts see the arrest as a Kremlin attempt to punish the Russian billionaire for political activities.
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