A video printed on TikTok by Yuriy Boyko, a pro-Russian lawmaker and former head of the banned Opposition Platform — For Life, was met with public outrage in Ukraine.
In his Dec. 14 video, Boyko repeated long-standing Russian propaganda factors of radicals controlling Ukrainian streets.
Sitting in his workplace and searching on the digicam, Boyko mentioned that alleged "radicals" in Ukraine "began demolishing monuments, renaming cities, forbidding folks to talk their native language" and never permitting folks to "go to the church they need to go to."
But, Boyko wasn't recording the video from Moscow, he was doing so from Kyiv. Regardless of three years of all-out warfare, the businessmen and politicians with robust ties to Moscow had been capable of maintain their standing in Ukraine.
"Generally, I attend occasions organized by diplomatic missions of different international locations. I recurrently see Boyko there. And I all the time have the identical query: why is he right here and never in jail?" politician and volunteer Serhiy Prytula mentioned.
"Generally, I attend occasions organized by diplomatic missions of different international locations. I recurrently see Boyko there. And I all the time have the identical query: why is he right here and never in jail?"
As talks about potential elections in Ukraine are gaining momentum, the Russian-friendly group started to talk up.
"It is a assertion that launches a political course of. The query is which one and why now," Mykyta Poturayev, the chairman of the parliament's Committee on Humanitarian and Info Coverage, informed the Kyiv Unbiased.
After the general public uproar, Boyko was questioned by the Safety Service of Ukraine (SBU). He was additionally expelled from the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, but solely after the second strive.
In a subsequent video, the lawmaker apologized and referred to as Russian President Vladimir Putin a "warfare felony." Regardless of that, Boyko didn’t delete the earlier video and continued to publish new ones, gaining tens of hundreds of views.
Following the failed first try to sack Boyko, political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko wrote that the pro-Russian lawmaker had "buddies or sympathizers" in all factions and parliamentary teams. He referred to as this the hidden facet of politics, which includes casual relations.
"It mustn’t come as a shock that Yuriy Boyko and his political comrades felt and nonetheless really feel good beneath totally different governments and presidents. They knew how one can negotiate with everybody. And that is the key of their political survival," Fesenko mentioned.
The Kyiv IndependentKostiantyn Nechyporenko
Who's Yuriy Boyko?
Boyko, 66, is a widely known face in Ukraine.
An vitality minister beneath pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych, Boyko ended his tenure in authorities because the nation's deputy prime minister through the EuroMaidan Revolution that ousted Yanukovych and his authorities.
In 2011, a journalistic investigation revealed that Boyko was allegedly concerned in a corruption scheme now bearing his title, which is considered one of many largest in Ukraine's historical past.
The state-owned firm Chornomornaftogaz, which was subordinated to Boyko's vitality ministry, purchased two oil rigs within the Black Sea by way of offshore corporations. The state's losses from the acquisition had been estimated at $400 million.
The rigs had been occupied by Russia since 2014. Kyiv regained management of them within the fall of 2023.
Earlier than his tenure as minister. Boyko led Ukraine's Naftogaz, a state-owned oil and gasoline firm, and was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine for "settling Ukraine's gasoline debt to Russia."
With such a path, it got here as a shock that Boyko didn’t flee in 2014, quickly reinventing himself as one of many leaders of a number of pro-Russian political tasks.
Boyko advocated for Ukraine's "neutrality and non-alignment" and for granting the Russian language the standing of the state language, proposals that echo Putin's ultimatums.
Boyko ran for president in 2014 and 2019, coming in fourth place within the latter.
Alongside along with his tentative ally, pro-Kremlin businessman Viktor Medvedchuk, Boyko traveled to Moscow to satisfy with then-Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The 2 visited Russia once more in a couple of months.
The SBU launched investigations into the journeys, however there have been no additional developments. Boyko was neither suspected nor charged.
The joint political undertaking of Boyko and Medvedchuk, Opposition Platform — For Life, secured second place within the 2019 presidential elections with 13 % of the vote and 44 seats.
Following the beginning of the all-out warfare, Medvedchuk was arrested and despatched to Russia amid a prisoner change. Boyko wasn't touched.
On the third day of the full-scale invasion, when Russian troops had been transferring deeper into Ukraine, reaching the outskirts of Kyiv, Boyko was interviewed by Russian propaganda mouthpiece Vladimir Solovyov. The politician claimed that his faction and folks had been prepared "to do all the things" to begin Ukraine-Russia talks as quickly as doable.
"I didn’t take into consideration leaving Ukraine in any respect. If you happen to depart Ukraine, you set an finish to your political profession," he mentioned later.
Because the warfare progressed, Boyko rebranded himself, disowning his pro-Russian associates who had not performed so. He condemned Russia's aggression and supported Ukraine in restoring its 1991 borders.
Oleksandr Salizhenko, editor in chief of the political watchdog Chesno, mentioned Boyko had been cautious following the EuroMaidan Revolution, but he quickly drifted again to an outright pro-Russian stance.
"It appears to me that the scenario is now repeating itself, by way of numerous indicators, voting, speeches, and the rhetoric of speeches (in parliament)," Salizhenko mentioned.
The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan
Rebranding within the parliament
In September 2022, Ukraine's Supreme Courtroom banned the Opposition Platform. Faction members tried to rebrand themselves, splitting into two parliamentary teams — Platform for Life and Peace and Restoring Ukraine. The primary one is led by Boyko.
"It is a Russian celebration sitting in Ukraine's parliament," Mykola Davydiuk, a political observer, informed the Kyiv Unbiased.
"It is a Russian celebration sitting in Ukraine's parliament."
Olena Shuliak, the pinnacle of the governing Servant of the Folks celebration, praised MPs from the banned pro-Russian celebration for "very constructive" cooperation with the ruling one, with out elaborating on the phrases.
Some lawmakers and specialists recommend that the remnants of the pro-Russian teams in parliament assist Zelensky's celebration keep afloat by voting for controversial payments in change for avoiding sanctions or felony prosecutions.
But, not all had been saved from prosecution. Quite a lot of pro-Russian politicians at the moment are both behind bars, fled Ukraine or ended up in Russia. Based on Chesno, 9 lawmakers from two parliamentary teams, successors of Opposition Platform, have been suspected of crimes towards Ukraine’s nationwide safety.
Based on Salizhenko, after the outbreak of full-scale warfare, the lawmakers of the previous Opposition Platform modified their method to voting.
"They’re attempting to display their usefulness to the authorities. They need to be counted on," he mentioned.
He additionally doesn’t rule out that Boyko shall be simpler to manage than a possible pro-Russian political newcomer.
Publicly, Boyko mentioned that his group helps Zelensky. Poturayev referred to as the allegations of a deal between the ruling celebration and the Opposition Platform a "manipulation."
On the similar time, in accordance with the evaluation of the Chesno, in 2022-2023, 86% of choices might have been adopted with out the votes from the previous members of the Opposition Platform. Solely 9.1% of initiatives couldn’t have handed with out their votes.
"The lawmakers of the previous 'Opposition Platform' don’t vote with the bulk when Russia has at the very least some curiosity in a specific difficulty. For instance, on the ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)," mentioned Salizhenko.
They voted towards the choice to dissolve the Kremlin-linked church, numerous clergymen of which had been charged with treason for helping Russia through the warfare.
Despite the fact that Boyko's assertion on TikTok was harshly criticized by many lawmakers and high officers, the parliament barely supported his expulsion from the Human Rights Committee, failing the primary spherical of voting.
Russia's candidate
All through the warfare, Boyko posted movies on his YouTube channel, in addition to gave interviews to pro-Kremlin former journalists from TV channels linked to Medvedchuk, that had been banned in 2021 for spreading disinformation and Kremlin's propaganda.
Nonetheless, the launch of his TikTok channel introduced Boyko again into public area.
Though the social media platform is utilized by many Ukrainian politicians, Boyko's video has sparked hypothesis that it might be an indication that he’s doing groundwork for the post-war presidential and parliamentary run.
The legislation doesn’t enable Ukraine to carry elections throughout martial legislation. Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky's presidential workplace, mentioned that presidential elections can be held "instantly" after the top of the warfare.
After Donald Trump's victory within the U.S. presidential election this November, Kyiv has shifted its rhetoric on potential negotiations with Russia amid rising expectations of doable ceasefire talks.
Regardless of a number of media experiences concerning the preparations for elections, Poturayev denied that the ruling celebration is preparing for the election.
Salizhenko questions the assumptions about elections, saying that it’s unimaginable to even arrange them now.
Over 20% of Ukraine's territories are occupied by Russia, with electoral infrastructure destroyed in a number of settlements in Ukraine-controlled territories. Moreover, there are over 6 million Ukrainians overseas and one other 4.5 million internally displaced.
"These a number of issues merely imply that talks about elections are too early," he mentioned.
"Politicians ought to speak about how we’re going to remedy these issues associated to the elections, and never about how one can maintain these elections as quickly as doable."
Word from the writer:
Hi there there! That is Kateryna Denisova, the writer of this piece. I hope you discovered this text informative. Regardless of ongoing Russia’s full-scale warfare, Ukraine’s home politics has been brewing over the previous yr.
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