Episode 1 - The oil business

On 24 February 2022, at the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin gathered Russian oligarchs in the Kremlin to seek their financial support and allegiance. Among them were those in the energy sector, essential for financing the war. Since the fall of the USSR, these men, nicknamed the "7 bankers", have built up their fortunes through the privatisations of the 1990s, particularly in the oil sector. Under the aegis of Boris Berezovsky, they financed the re-election of Boris Yeltsin in 1996, obtaining valuable oil assets in the process. By controlling natural resources, these oligarchs became economic and political powerhouses. However, their hold was challenged when Putin, elected President in 2000, gradually freed himself from their influence. The story of the rise of the oligarchs and their relationship with the Kremlin is intertwined with the fate of post-Soviet Russia and its vast oil reserves.

Episode 2 - The conquest of the West

The new Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is imposing his domination over the oligarchs. He jailed Mikhail Khodorkovsky and drove Boris Berezovsky into exile, before focusing on restoring Russia's greatness and conquering Europe. To do this, he used energy as a lever, placing allies from his inner circle, such as Alexei Miller and Igor Setchine, at the head of energy giants like Gazprom and Rosneft. This "new guard" of Siloviki oligarchs, former members of the security services, is strengthening his power. At the same time, Russian oligarchs are investing massively in Europe, particularly in the UK and Germany, where they are influencing the local elites. The energy pact with Germany, supported by former Chancellor Schröder, makes European nations dependent and vulnerable.

Episode 3 - In the service of war

In 2014, Russia's invasion of Crimea plunged Europe into a very complicated situation. Germany, dependent on cheap Russian gas, refused to support the US sanctions and went ahead with the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. For its part, France, through Total, has chosen to ally itself with Putin to exploit Arctic gas via the Yamal project, and this partnership even survives the invasion of Crimea and the death of Christophe de Margerie, Total's CEO. In 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine, Western sanctions hit the Russian oligarchs. Igor Setchine, close to Putin, created a fleet to get around the sanctions and maintain oil exports. While the LNG tanker Christophe de Margerie continues to deliver gas. Russian oligarchs are professionals at survival. Now pariahs in the West, they have returned to Russia to serve Putin's grand design: to build a new geopolitical order that turns its back on the West.