Friedman said he does not consider himself a national traitor

Alfa Group founder Mikhail Fridman gave an interview to the American CBS channel. In a conversation with a journalist, he said that he did not consider himself a national traitor.

The entrepreneur recalled the "extremely understandable speech about traitors" that Russian President Vladimir Putin recently delivered .

On March 16, Putin announced that the West, in its pressure on Moscow, would rely on “the so-called fifth column, on national traitors” - those who earn money in Russia, but live “there”. “And he lives not even in the geographical sense of the word, but according to his thoughts, according to his slavish consciousness,” the HEAD of state noted. Putin said that "self-cleansing" of society from such "scum and traitors" would strengthen the country.

The journalist asked Friedman if he thought the president's words were about him. "Don't know. I definitely don’t consider myself a national traitor,” the businessman said. He expressed the hope that he is not such, and according to Putin. “But it looks like [that it is],” he said.