On December 21, Russian President Vladimir Putinmet with Russian oligarchs at the Kremlin. The men in attendance had a combined wealth of $213bn, almost as much as the Russian federal budget. So it was no wonder Putin wanted to meet them and assure their loyalty, especially before the presidential elections next year (even if they will be just a formality).
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Roman Dobrokhotov: How Putin became a problem for Russian oligarchs
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the United Russia Party's 17th convention in Moscow on Dec. 23.
