Officials in Ukraine are expressing skepticism that Russia has pulled back some of its troops amassed near their border. President Joe Biden addressed the world from the White House, saying an invasion remains “distinctly possible.”
Meanwhile, Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s enormous wealth is making headlines as his $125 million super yacht is on the move.
The Graceful has been docked at a boatyard in Germany since December for refurbishment, but made a hurried exit before the work was completed.
Now, the vessel is sailing back home to Russia in a bid to prevent it from being seized by the West should Putin invade Ukraine, experts say.
German media reported that the yacht was departing the shipyard unexpectedly before they could finish the upgrades.
Inside the ship, there’s a pool that can be converted into a dance floor, an elevator and plush seating. Putin’s stateroom has a huge, king size bed.
Putin’s official salary as president of Russia is $135,000, but he has reportedly amassed a fortune of $225 billion.
Bill Browder, author of an upcoming book on Putin’s ill-gotten gains, says, “Putin is a narrow-minded, greedy man who has stolen a lot of money over a long period of time from the Russian people.”
Browder says the one sure way to stop Putin from invading Ukraine is to threaten to seize his assets.
“Putin values money more than human life. It’s real simple — you go after his money. And if that threat is made clearly, he won’t invade Ukraine,” Browder said.