Kyiv ready to exchange Putin’s friend Medvedchuk for Ukrainians imprisoned in Russia
Ukraine can exchange the head of of the party "Opposition Platform - For Life" Viktor Medvedchuk, arrested on suspicion of treason, for Ukrainians imprisoned in Russia, said the Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, Oleksii Danilov.
"The decision on the exchange is made by the President of Ukraine. I think if we can do that, we'll be happy to do it," Danilov said.
Medvedchuk is currently under house arrest. His house and the office of the "Opposition Platform" were raided by police. The politician described the incident as a political massacre and said that he intends to cooperate with the investigation.
The Kremlin, commenting on the charges against Medvedchuk, said that it is not going to interfere in the internal affairs of Ukraine. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian president, said Medvedchuk had not asked Russia for assistance or political asylum. "It is unlikely that Russia can give him any help amid the persecution that is taking place now," the Kremlin spokesman said.
Medvedchuk is Vladimir Putin's close friend. In 2004, the Russian president became the godfather of Medvedchuk's youngest daughter Daria. In 2021, Medvedchuk was ranked among the richest Ukrainians, according to Forbes magazine. His fortune was estimated at 620 million dollars.