President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russian businessmen were being persecuted in countries like Britain and that they would be better off in Russia along with their assets.

Putin, speaking during his live televised annual phone-in with the Russian people, was answering a question about visa problems experienced by billionaire Roman Abramovich in Britain.
Putin said he had advised business people to keep their assets inside Russia and said that pressure on Russian businessmen was undermining trust in Western countries.