[Epoch Times, April 13, 2022](Epoch Times reporter Xia Yu comprehensive report) On Tuesday (April 12), Ukraine said it had arrested fugitive pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk. , he is seen as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian security service SBU released a photo showing Medvechuk in handcuffs and wearing a Ukrainian military uniform.
In a video address to the nation on Tuesday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to exchange Medvechuk for Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia.
He had earlier written on Facebook that Mr Medvechuk was arrested following a “special operation” by the SBU.
Ukrainian security services said in a statement: “You (Medvechuk) can become a pro-Russian politician and work for years for an aggressor country. You may have been hiding from justice lately. You can even wear Ukrainian military uniforms for disguise. “
Medvechuk was placed under house arrest in May 2021 on high treason charges for his involvement in a plan to transfer oil and gas licenses from Crimea to Russia. He was also accused of leaking Ukrainian military secrets.
Medvechuk claims Putin is his daughter’s godfather. He is a wealthy businessman who leads the Ukrainian pro-Russian opposition platform, the Party for Life.
Medvechuk escaped from house arrest shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 this year.
Medvechuk, 67, denies wrongdoing. He has repeatedly described the charges against him as “political repression”.
For years, Ukrainian politics have tolerated Medvechuk because he is seen as an important channel of communication with the Kremlin.
Russia said on Tuesday it was examining information about Medvechuk’s arrest. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that was because “there is so much fake news coming from Ukraine right now” and “everything needs to be checked now”.
TASS quoted a Kremlin spokesman as saying he had seen the photo but could not be sure if it was real.
Russia’s state broadcaster RT reported that Medvechuk, who served as chief of staff to former President Leonid Kuchma in the early 2000s, sees Ukraine’s turn to the West as detrimental to Ukrainian interests. The Russian president described Medvechuk as a “Ukrainian nationalist”.
Responsible editor: Ye Ziwei#