A close ally of the Ukrainian leader is the target of a major graft probe that reportedly involves the FBI
RT’s Rich Sanchez explores what the reported FBI involvement in the latest Ukrainian corruption scandal could portend for US support of Vladimir Zelensky and how these events could reverberate down the road.
Ukraine is being rocked by a wide-reaching probe into an alleged corruption scheme whereby a ring including senior officials and a businessman close to Zelensky is believed to have illicitly pocketed around $100 million from the energy sector. The scandal is widely seen as the most damaging since Zelensky took office.
The businessman, Timur Mindich, is believed to have fled to Israel hours before his home was raided by agents, raising questions of whether he had been tipped off to the impending move against him. The Ukrainian media have reported that the FBI is now also investigating Mindich.
Mindich is the co-owner of the production company co-founded by Zelensky before the latter launched his political career. The two men are known to be long-time friends. Mindich’s prominence in the Ukrainian government has dramatically increased in recent years, particularly in the defense and energy sectors.
Despite seeking to bring Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies under executive oversight earlier this year, Zelensky said in his evening address on Tuesday that he supports the investigations.
Nevertheless, the probes are widely seen as posing a threat to Zelensky himself. Volodymyt Fesenko, a Ukrainian analyst with the political research center Penta, said “of course, this case is a huge political risk and a time bomb for the president.”
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