President Zelenskyy said that a pro-Putin, Ukrainian politician and millionaire tycoon was arrested after escaping house arrest.
Medvedchuk is not a household name outside of the region, but his influence in Ukrainian and Russian politics has made him a key player in the current conflict, as well as a rare member of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle.
Medvedchuk has used his close relationship with Putin to install himself as one of the most powerful politicians in the country.
Medvedchuk has been given a new nickname by his critics: The Prince of Darkness, because of his incomparable power and demeanor within Ukraine's political system.
The friendship between Putin and Medvedchuk began in 2003 when Alexander Voloshin was the head of the Kremlin administration. The two men quickly realized that they shared the same closed worldview.
Medvedchuk told the outlet of Ukraine and Russia that they are not one nation, but two Slavic nations with intertwined histories. I don't think it is a single nation. You cannot say this.
Putin insists that Ukraine is not a nation but a part of Russia. Experts have said that Putin's obsession with subordinating Ukrainians was a factor in his decision to invade the country.
The two men were able to grow closer because of this point of disagreement. According to The Washington Post, Medvedchuk visited Putin at home in Moscow and Sochi and 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611
In his book, "All the Kremlin's Men", a Russian journalist wrote that Putin believed no question about Ukraine could be solved without Medvedchuk.
Medvedchuk told the Independent that he wouldn't use his close relationship with Putin in Ukrainian political dealings because it would bolster his influence and standing.
In the aftermath of Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, the US government imposed sanctions on Medvedchuk, accusing him of contributing to the conflict in Ukraine.
In a 2016 interview with Radio Free Europe, Medvedchuk said that the land was not likely to be returned to the Ukrainian government.
The Post reported that Medvedchuk was an emissary between Ukrainian and Russian officials, and that he was involved in prisoner negotiations.
Medvedchuk told the Independent that he was passionate about prisoner negotiations because he wanted people to be home with their families.
He told the outlet that he was the only one who could do it.
In November of last year, Medvedchuk highlighted his role as a power broker between Ukraine and Russia to get himself elected chairman of the Ukrainian political party For Life.
Despite a platform that advocates for closer ties to Moscow and echoes Kremlin propaganda, the party is not pro-Russian.
Insider previously reported that Medvedchuk was Russia's top choice as a replacement for Zelenskyy as the Kremlin's puppet leader in Ukraine. If Russia had taken Kyiv, Medvedchuk would have been the new leader, according to many experts.
When Zelenskyy won the presidency, Medvedchek lost his role as a Ukrainian-Russian broker.
Zelenskyy signed a decree accusing Medvedchuk of financing terrorism by funneling money from a Russia-based refinery to the rebels in the eastern part of the country.
Three months later, prosecutors accused Medvedchuk and another lawmaker of high treason and placed them under house arrest. The arrest was decried by the Kremlin as a witch hunt.
Ukrainian officials said that Medvedchuk had escaped from house arrest.
A lawyer for Medvedchuk said that his client had to move because of threats from nationalist groups.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian security services confirmed that they had arrested Medvedchuk hours after Zelenskyy posted a photo of him on Telegram.
You can be a pro-Russian politician and work for the state. You might have been hiding from justice. The security services said in a post that you can wear a Ukrainian military uniform.
Will it help you escape punishment? Not at all! The post said that traitors to Ukraine like you will be waiting for them.
According to the security services post, the head of the secret services said that his operatives conducted a "lightning-fast and dangerous multi-level special operation" to secure Medvedchuk's arrest.
Zelenskyy said in March that the opposition platform - For Life and some other smaller Russian-linked political parties in Ukraine had been suspended.
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