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Viktor Medvedchuk is a former Ukrainian politician. He was a member of the opposition party «For Life».
Jenny WagnerEditor News
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (44) is not giving up his country. He demands that Russia withdraw from all of Ukraine. Peace negotiations with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin (70) are impossible because neither side is willing to compromise. Zelensky is a thorn in Putin’s side. A new figure is needed – and the perfect candidate is Viktor Medvedchuk (67). He’s easy to control and Putin likes his political stance.
The oligarch has acted as an intermediary between Kyiv and Moscow in the past. In addition, for a long time he was a politician of the Ukrainian opposition «For Life». Medvedchuk has a very good relationship with Putin due to his pro-Russian attitude. No wonder the big businessman was placed under house arrest in May 2021 on charges of high treason. In April 2022 he was arrested for treason. In September’s prisoner swap, Russia released the Azov regime’s fighters in exchange for the Ukrainian oligarch.
For Putin, the ex-politician is an important key figure. Putin would like to replace Zelensky’s head with Medvedchuk’s. Putin is currently in a political impasse. Zelenskiy does not want to negotiate on Putin’s terms, and Russian soldiers are dying every day – with the help of Western weapons, among other things. That is why the idea of cultivating a brotherly relationship with Ukraine is burgeoning again in Russia – instead of completely taking over Ukraine.
Medvedchuk accuses Zelensky of asserting his own interests
The former Ukrainian politician should make Ukraine a “loyal state” – similar to the times of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (72). The Russian newspaper “Izvestia” published an article by Medvedchuk on January 16, in which he describes a pro-Russian view of the geopolitical situation. He also accuses Western politicians and Zelensky of asserting their own interests regardless of “war or even nuclear war”.
He reproduces words that could also come from the propaganda on Russian television – in the spirit of Putin. For example, Medvedchuk is of the opinion that NATO has repeatedly ignored Russia’s demands for eastward expansion, thereby continuing the Cold War conflict after the end of 1991. For him it is clear: “Since 1991 there have been two countries within Ukraine itself – anti-Russia and Ukraine as another Russia.” For Putin, he now wants to promote “Ukraine as another Russia”.
Government-in-exile is an act of desperation by Putin
In Medvedchuk’s eyes, Ukraine’s enemy is the West. “And if Europe continues this policy, it will be drawn into a war, possibly a nuclear one,” warns the oligarch. This is Kremlin talk that impresses Putin.
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The global network for peace theories “Carniegie” classifies Putin’s fixation on Medvedchuk as an act of desperation because he is slowly running out of options. It is conceivable that Putin wants to set up a kind of exile government for Ukraine with Medvedchuk, the article says.
Putin wants to hold peace talks with Medvedchuk
However, the staging of Medvedchuk can be an indication that Russia is planning a bloody offensive in the spring and wants to set up a puppet government in Ukraine with the oligarch. According to “Carniegie”, Moscow is ready to artificially create a peace party “in order to hold peace talks with Medvedchuk instead of with Zelensky” – i.e. effectively with itself.
But Selenski doesn’t just accept that. Medvedchuk’s Ukrainian citizenship was revoked shortly after his article was published in the Russian newspaper so that he can no longer hold political office. However, if Putin manages to establish Medvedchuk as ruler in Ukraine, he will probably hand Ukraine over to Russia without a fight.
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