In the photos released by the Ukrainian authorities, he appears in military uniform, looking dejected, with disheveled hair and handcuffs. Pro-Russian MP and businessman Viktor Medvedchuk, 67, was arrested in Ukraine in connection with a “special operation” as he tried to flee the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday April 12. This arrest has a symbolic dimension for the country. Twelfth fortune of Ukraine in 2021 with 570 million euros, according to the magazine Forbes, the oligarch headed the pro-Russian opposition platform “For Life”, which was banned following the Russian invasion. He is also a close friend of Vladimir Putin (the Russian president is his daughter’s godfather), of whom he is considered the unofficial representative in Ukraine.
Before the war, Mr. Medvedchuk had been charged with “high treason” and “attempted looting of natural resources in Crimea”, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Under house arrest since May 2021, he disappeared a few days after the start of the offensive on February 24. “His arrest is not related to his political orientation, but to the fact that he violated the law”, says Oleksiy Melnyk, co-director of the Razumkov Center think tank in kyiv. The news was celebrated across the country. On the Internet, dozens of memes, created from photos where he is handcuffed, immediately emerged.
“There is no reason to consider him a prisoner of war, because he does not meet the criteria set by the Geneva Convention, believes the researcher, and he was not a fighter”, despite his military uniform. On this subject, the Ukrainian President has moreover denounced the “cynicism” of the businessman “using the camouflage outfit” : “He tried to camouflage himself. This is a “warrior”. here’s one ‘patriot’he quipped.
Volodymyr Zelensky proposed on Wednesday to exchange him for Ukrainian prisoners in Russia. “I propose to Russia to exchange your man for our boys and girls who are currently in captivity in Russia. It is therefore important that our law enforcement and our military consider this possibility as well. »
A source of information for Russia
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not comment directly on the proposal. “Medvedchuk is not a Russian citizen. He has nothing to do with the special military operation, he is a foreign politiciandid he declare. We don’t really know if he wants Russia to be involved in solving this problem. » According to Mr. Melnyk, the message is clear: “The fact that Peskov says he’s not Russian is a way of saying, ‘We don’t need you anymore.’ Because I can assure you 100% that Medvedchuk also has a Russian passport, like many Ukrainian politicians. »
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