Zelensky Offers to Swap Pro-Putin Tycoon for Captured Ukrainians

Rogue Valley · Apr 13, 2022

Zelensky Offers to Swap Pro-Putin Tycoon for Captured Ukrainians - The Moscow Times

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered Wednesday to swap pro-Kremlin tycoon Viktor Medvedchuk, who was arrested by Kyiv after escaping house arrest, for Ukrainians captured by Russia.

www.themoscowtimes.com

Pro-Russia oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk after his capture by the SBU.

4.13.22
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered Wednesday to swap pro-Kremlin tycoon Viktor Medvedchuk, who was arrested by Kyiv after escaping house arrest, for Ukrainians captured by Russia. Medvedchuk, 67, counts Russian President Vladimir Putin among his personal friends and says the Kremlin leader is godfather to his youngest daughter Darya. "I propose to the Russian Federation to exchange this guy of yours for our boys and our girls who are now in Russian captivity," Zelensky said in a video address posted on Telegram. "And may Medvedchuk be an example for you. Even the former oligarch did not escape. What can we say about much simpler criminals from the Russian hinterland? We will get everyone."

Ukrainian authorities announced Tuesday they had captured a prominent pro-Kremlin tycoon who escaped from house arrest after Russia's invasion. Zelensky posted a picture online of a disheveled-looking Medvedchuk with his hands in cuffs and dressed in a Ukrainian army uniform. "A special operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine. Well done!" Zelensky wrote on Telegram. Security agency chief Ivan Bakanov said agents had carried out a "lightning-fast and dangerous multi-level special operation to detain" the Russia-friendly lawmaker. Medvedchuk, one of the richest people in Ukraine, is a hugely controversial figure for his close ties to Moscow. He was being held under house arrest since last year on treason charges over accusations of attempting to steal natural resources from Russia-annexed Crimea and of handing Ukrainian military secrets to Moscow.

In mid-March, 11 Ukrainan pro-Russia political parties were suspended under Martial Law including Medvedchuk's "Opposition Platform for Life" which had 44 seats in Ukraine's 450 seat parliament.

Viktor Medvedchuk has long been the Kremlin's point man in Kyiv for subverting Ukraine. He had escaped house-arrest and was probably attempting to flee to Moscow when caught.

OrphanSlug · Apr 13, 2022

Putin is too insane to agree to very much, but it will be interesting to see if he takes this offer.

Napoleon · Apr 13, 2022

Lol. So now the Zelensky regime is offering up the Ukranian opposition leader to Russia. What a maroon.

Loulit01 · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
Lol. So now the Zelensky regime is offering up the Ukranian opposition leader to Russia. What a maroon.

That's what you see happening here? Seriously?

Napoleon · Apr 13, 2022

Loulit01 said:
That's what you see happening here? Seriously?

That’s exactly what’s happening here. Viktor Medvedchuk is the political opposition leader in Ukraine and the Zelensky regime has kept him under house arrest for over a year without charge or trial. Now they’re dressing up their political prisoner in military fatigues and hilariously think he’s some kind bargaining chip.

Rogue Valley · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
Lol. So now the Zelensky regime is offering up the Ukranian opposition leader to Russia. What a maroon.

An opportunity to see how much Putin values his "Gray Cardinal" in Ukraine.

I'm betting Putin considers Medvedchuk is expendable... just like all other Ukrainians.

Rogue Valley · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
That’s exactly what’s happening here. Viktor Medvedchuk is the political opposition leader in Ukraine and the Zelensky regime has kept him under house arrest for over a year without charge or trial. Now they’re dressing him up in military fatigues and hilariously think he’s some kind bargaining chip.

Medvedchuk was charged with conspiracy against Ukraine and was ordered by the court to remain under house arrest until his trial.

But he saw his opportunity and tried to flee, probably to Moscow just like Yanukovych did in 2014.

Napoleon · Apr 13, 2022

Rogue Valley said:
An opportunity to see how much Putin values his "Gray Cardinal" in Ukraine.

I'm betting Putin considers Medvedchuk is expendable... just like all other Ukrainians.

Putin doesn’t negotiate with terrorists. He’s certainly not going to send the message that people can abduct oligarchs and successfully make demands of the Russian government.

Napoleon · Apr 13, 2022

Rogue Valley said:
Medvedchuk was charged with conspiracy against Ukraine and was ordered by the court to remain under house arrest until his trial.

But he saw his opportunity and tried to flee, probably to Moscow just like Yanukovych did in 2014.

Accusations have been leveled against Viktor Medvedchuk and nothing more. The Zelensky regime has no evidence on which to base formal charges. That’s why he’s been illegally kept under house arrest for twice as long as Ukranian law allows without trial. And no, he didn’t try to flee anywhere. He stayed in Kyiv. The man is a political prisoner.

Rogue Valley · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
Putin doesn’t negotiate with terrorists. He’s certainly not going to send the message that people can abduct oligarchs and successfully make demands of the Russian government.

Lol. Medvedchuk (67) was arrested by investigators, not abducted. And he was formally charged with crimes.

A judge ordered him confined to house arrest until hs trial, but he tried to escape from Ukraine during the chaos of the Russian invasion.

Innocent people don't try to escape.

Napoleon · Apr 13, 2022

Rogue Valley said:
Lol. Medvedchuk (67) was arrested by investigators, not abducted. And he was formally charged with crimes.

A judge ordered him confined to house arrest until hs trial, but he tried to escape from Ukraine during the chaos of the Russian invasion.

Innocent people don't try to escape.

He hasn’t been formally charged with anything. His house arrest has been extended at least four times and he’s been kept under house arrest as a political prisoner for much longer than Ukranian law allows. No criminal charges have been filed and there is no trial date. Smart people don’t sit around and wait to be murdered. He moved to a more secure location in Kyiv. Then he was taken as a hostage and forced into military fatigues by the Zelensky regime.

Rogue Valley · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
He hasn’t been formally charged with anything.

Yes he was.

On 11 May 2021, Medvedchuk and fellow Opposition Platform — For Life lawmaker Taras Kozak were named as suspects for alleged high treason and the illegal exploitation of natural resources in Ukraine's Russian-annexed Crimea.[77][78] Three days later Medvedchuk was put under house arrest and fitted with an electronic tracking device.[79] On 14 May 2021 Russian authorities began the process of liquidating the Russian company Novye Proekty which was allegedly used by Medvedchuk for his alleged illegal exploitations in Crimea.[80]

and treason.....

In May 2021, Ukrainian media published a recorded audio in which Medvedchuk congratulated the leader of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin on Victory Day and wished him further "victories".

Viktor Medvedchuk - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Juin · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
Lol. So now the Zelensky regime is offering up the Ukranian opposition leader to Russia. What a maroon.

Is it normal to take civilians hostage and offer to exchange them for soldiers held as prisoners of war? Can you imagine the uproar if this outrageous act was from Russians?

Juin · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
He hasn’t been formally charged with anything. His house arrest has been extended at least four times and he’s been kept under house arrest as a political prisoner for much longer than Ukranian law allows. No criminal charges have been filed and there is no trial date. Smart people don’t sit around and wait to be murdered. He moved to a more secure location in Kyiv. Then he was taken as a hostage and forced into military fatigues by the Zelensky regime.

To be Russian in Ukraine has been a crime since 2014. Now Zelensky is offering to exchange ethnic Russians citizens of Ukraine for prisoners of war. Maybe Zelensky is on the first step of fis final solution to Ukraine’s ethnic Russian question

CaughtInThe · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
Putin doesn’t negotiate with terrorists

Putin is a terrorist.

With big guns.

Napoleon · Apr 13, 2022

Rogue Valley said:
Yes he was.

and treason.....

Viktor Medvedchuk - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

According to your own source, he was named as a suspect not formally charged with anything.

Juin · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
According to your own source, he was named as a suspect not formally charged with anything.

And according to our Westphalians this poignant fact is missing to the minority Russians of Ukraine.

Rogue Valley · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
According to your own source, he was named as a suspect not formally charged with anything.

Considering the pootential charges, that's enough to bind him over for trial.

The treasonous bastard can rot in custody for all I care.

Arlette · Apr 13, 2022

Napoleon said:
That’s exactly what’s happening here. Viktor Medvedchuk is the political opposition leader in Ukraine and the Zelensky regime has kept him under house arrest for over a year without charge or trial. Now they’re dressing up their political prisoner in military fatigues and hilariously think he’s some kind bargaining chip.

At least he isn't in GITMO

Rogue Valley · Apr 13, 2022

Arlette said:
At least he isn't in GITMO

Why bring GITMO into a thread about Ukraine?

Zelensky Offers to Swap Pro-Putin Tycoon for Captured Ukrainians

Rogue Valley

Lead or get out of the way