Investigation establishes that Ukrainian oligarch Akhmetov met with Putin’s aide in 2014
Vladislav Surkov, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, met with the Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov in Donetsk on February 12, 2014, said Alexey Donskoy, prosecutor in the case of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
“The investigation has proven: Surkov saw Yanukovych on January 20, 2014, in Mezhyhirya. Surkov went there no later than seven in the evening and left around midnight. Surkov flew to Akhmetov in Donetsk much later, on February 12, 2014, and they met in Akhmetov’s private residence. In that case, Surkov had flown from Crimea, and after the discussion he returned immediately to Moscow,” Donskoy said in an interview with Russian publication Novaya Gazeta.
“I’ll speak openly: I would be unlikely to share such information with the media if Rinat Akhmetov had made truthful or even credible statements about the goals and subject of this meeting. Somehow it turned out that Akhmetov was the only one whose questioning by the management of the Main Investigation Department [referring to the previous directors] they actively attempted to sabotage. But then, when we promised publicity, the undertaking was abandoned,” the prosecutor added.
According to Donskoy, during Euromaidan, Surkov also actively made contact with Oleg Tsarov, one of the ideologists from the “Novorossiya” project, acting Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov, businessman Serhiy Kurchenko, former chairman of the Council of Ministers Anatoliy Mohiliov, and a whole range of other people. The investigation does not, however, have information about Surkov’s contact with Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the public organization “Ukrainian Choice”. Surkov is believed to be the curator of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR).