Let me repeat: I do not feel much sympathy for Ulyukayev.
First, he will always remain, for me, the man who chaired VTB shareholder meetings and did everything he could to shut me up and prevent me from speaking about corruption at the bank. He encouraged that corruption, he helped the corrupt officials, he was on their side.
Second, I stand by my own "Ildar Dadin formula": we should show Ulyukayev (and all the so-called systemic liberals who are jailed after him) exactly as much sympathy as he showed Dadin when he was being tortured in prison. Zero? Then zero from us as well.
However, I cannot help but appreciate his final statement. Yes, of course, they all start thinking this way only after the system they themselves built has chewed them up and spat them out. Still, Ulyukayev did not just think it—he said it. He apologized.
He uttered that important phrase from which the "Dadin formula" arose: when everything is fine for you, you shamefully turn away from other people's suffering.
Saying such things is a very important act (even a ritual!) for a former Putin official. Especially since words like these could seriously backfire on him—the sentence has not yet been handed down.
In short, it is powerful. Read it:
People