Regarding the March 27 Observer feature titled "Berezovsky: a tale of betrayal by pal Putin": The Boris Yeltsin era was the worst for Russia since World War II. The country was in chaos, run by a band of mobsters headed by Boris Berezovsky, who spoiled and ripped out what was left of the collapsed Soviet Union.
Berezovsky's vision of democracy was a big joke. Reading Alex Goldfarb, one can understand that Russia was not at all democratic under Yeltsin, since Berezovsky was able to choose the next president. He chose Vladimir Putin, who had no network and no apparent strength, so that he could use him as a puppet to continue his government asset grab. His plan didn't work out as expected.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.