Putin begs oligarchs for money to help boost Russia’s crippled economy during Ukraine war

Please, sir, can he have some more?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is going hat-in-hand to wealthy oligarchs, asking them to donate cold hard cash to boost the country’s depleted economy during its war in Ukraine.

Putin made the embarrassing request before a large group of Russia’s financial elite on Thursday — and promised to keep the war going until victory is reached despite the economic strain it’s caused, sources familiar with the meeting told the Financial Times.

It’s the latest shakedown by Putin to get Russia’s wealthiest to foot the bill for the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year — but the first time he’s appealed to business magnates directly.