Ukrainian President Sanctions Pro-Russian Opposition Leader

Viktor Medvedchuk meets with Putin in 2019 (Wikimedia Commons).

The Ukrainian government imposed sanctions on Viktor Medvedchuk, an opposition lawmaker with close ties to the Russian government, on February 19. This action is part of a broader initiative aimed at countering terrorism in Eastern Ukraine.

Medvedchuk is a prominent businessman in Ukraine known for his personal connection with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Notably, Putin is the godfather of Medvedchuk’s  youngest daughter. Medvedchuk is also the leader of the Opposition Platform - For Life (OPFL) political party, the second-largest political party in Ukraine. He has been accused of financing terrorism. 

In total, the sanctions affected eight people, including Medvedchuk and his wife, and 19 companies. Of the people on the list, five are Russian nationals and four are Ukrainians. All are suspected of having close ties to Medvedchuk. 

The sanctions froze the assets of the listed people and forbade them from conducting business in Ukraine for three years. The targeted companies face trade restrictions, loss of control over their assets, and a complete ban on the transit of resources.

Additionally, the government seized control of the Prykarpatzakhidtrans, a 1,433-kilometer oil product pipeline that was previously owned by Medvedchuk. Moving forward, it will be nationalized and operated by state authorities.  

Medvedchuk’s party, OPFL, has condemned the recent decision by the government. The group wrote on Facebook, “Today, Ukraine is one step closer to becoming a dictatorship.”

These sanctions are only the latest in a series specifically directed at organizations accused of pro-Russian leanings. On February 3, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy approved sanctions on three TV channels that restrict their ability to broadcast on Ukrainian TV and radio frequencies, as well as block their assets and annul their licenses. 

The owner of these companies, Taras Kozak, a lawmaker representing OPFL, also had personal sanctions levied against him. Ukrainian officials claim that while Kozak officially owned the companies, they actually belonged to Medvedchuk. 

According to Tass Russian News, this crackdown on pro-Russian politicians is widely regarded as a political move to garner Western support for Zelenskiy and his agenda. Following the election of President Biden, Zelenskiy saw an opportunity for Ukraine to build a stronger relationship with the United States. 

The Ukrainian President stated in December 2020, “[President Biden] knows Ukraine better than the previous president… [he] will really help strengthen relations, help settle the war in Donbas, and end the occupation of our territory.”

According to Steven Pifer, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C., the Trump administration had, at best, a luke-warm relationship with Ukraine, providing military and political assistance but never truly condemning Putin. Authorities in Ukraine hope that the recent change in administration will result in more overt American support for initiatives such as resolving the war in the Donbas. 

Evidence of this hope for a strong relationship with the West can be seen in the announcement of the sanctions against Kozak. The official tweet from Zelenskiy was only written in English without a Ukrainian translation, a move that some social media users see as an attempt to justify the action to the West.