If the motto “Much enemy, much honor” still applies in Ukrainian politics, ex-President Petro Poroshenko cannot complain about a lack of attention: According to his party, more than 100 investigations and criminal proceedings are European Solidarity from the authorities of his successor Volodimir Zelenksky was used against him. And it is very possible that the former president will have to take a seat in a Ukrainian prison cell if he follows up on his announcement and returns to Kiev from abroad on January 17, following a summons from the judiciary.
For over a year now, the General Prosecutor of Ukraine, the domestic secret service SBU and a new national investigative office have been investigating an alleged case of “treason” and alleged promotion of terrorists: These are the official version of the leaders of the puppet republics DNR and LNR in Moscow, organized and controlled by Moscow the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine.
After Moscow started its war there in the summer of 2014 and brought the region under its control, Ukraine had a problem: Many industrial companies and especially coal mines were now in the territory of the “rebels”; Ukrainian companies and power plants depended on this coal. In its distress, Ukraine procured coal in South Africa, Australia and the USA – and also in eastern Ukraine. According to Poroshenko’s account at the time, purchases were only made from Ukrainian state-owned companies that had branches in DNR and LNR – and it was ensured that the money stayed with these companies.
The authorities, however, have presented a different version: According to them, large-scale coal purchases were primarily organized by the oligarch and leader of a pro-Russian party, Victor Medvedchuk, who are closely connected to the Kremlin – President Putin is the godfather of his daughter. The investigative service Bihus.info published recordings of alleged telephone conversations between Medvedchuk and Dmitri Kosak, deputy head of the Kremlin administration. The purchase of coal from the “rebels” is said to have been discussed by Medvedchuk and Kosak and clarified with Poroshenko. Poroshenko’s ex-confidante Oleksandr Onischenko claimed as early as 2016 that a close business partner of Poroshenko earned $ 20 per ton in coal trading.
Poroshenko wants to face justice
The judiciary turned the coal purchase into an alleged case of high treason. Medvedchuk has already been officially accused; On December 17, investigators wanted to personally hand over a statement of suspicion and a summons for interrogation to Poroshenko. But the ex-president fled in the car – and flew a few hours later on an alleged long-planned trip abroad. Since then, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has demanded an arrest warrant for Poroshenko and a bail equivalent to a good 32 million euros; in addition On January 6, a Kiev court froze Poroshenko’s entire fortune. The ex-president himself said he would return to Kiev from abroad on January 17th. Like oligarch Medvedchuk, Poroshenko denies all allegations.
Doubtful deals right up to the presidential administration are not uncommon in Ukraine, whether under Poroshenko or his successor Zelensky. The President and his predecessor are united in deep enmity. Zelensky’s popularity has plummeted since his election in 2019, as has that of his Servants of the People party. In recent polls, half of Ukrainians said they distrust Zelenksky or see him as “the disappointment of the year”. To the Kiev Institute of Sociology, according to Zelensky would only win a presidential election by a narrow margin. His party would be even worse: In parliamentary elections it would only be one of many, Poroshenko’s party might even expand its position.
After extensive inactivity, Zelensky is now trying to make a name for himself as an alleged fighter against the oligarchs who are hated by many Ukrainians. One of these is Poroshenko, who, among other things, was considered a billionaire at least earlier because of his Roschen chocolate factory – he named the company after Zelensky’s victory in autumn 2019 his eldest son. The authorities that are now taking action against Poroshenko – the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the SBU and the investigative office – are all run by Zelensky’s close confidants and are not considered independent. According to Poroshenko’s representatives, the judge, who on January 6th granted the request to confiscate the ex-president’s entire property, was doing her dissertation supervised by the vice-head of the presidential administration Zelensky have been.