Viktor Medvedchuk

Viktor Medvedchuk is a Ukrainian politician born in 1954 in the former USSR where he earned his law degree and for the first time became a controversial figure. In 1980, he became a barrister of Vasily Stusa, a Ukrainian poet and dissident, although he did not want to agree Medvedchuk to become his representative. Critics claim that Medvedchuk was not interested in the case, while he himself argued that the role of the lawyer in the USSR was marginal. The court sentenced Stusa to 10 years in a maximum security colony and 5 years of exile. On September 4th, 1985, the poet died in a labour camp. Once Ukraine regained independence, Medvedchuk became engaged in business and politics. In the 90s, he belonged to the so-called Kiev clan where the oligarchic system was created. Big business began to take interest in politics and expected political parties to cater to their needs and protect them. In 1996, Medvedchuk became the deputy of the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (United) and in 1998, he took over the power. In the presidential elections in 1999, SDPU(u) supported the candidacy of Leonid Kutschma, who ran for a re-election. Between 1997-2002 Medvedchuk was a member of the High Council of Ukraine and in 2002 he became the head of the administration of the President of Ukraine Leonid Kutschma. He then started being called the "grey cardinal" of the Ukrainian politics. During the 2004 presidential election, the opposition complained that Medvedchuk’s administration is responsible for election frauds. Medvedchuk for many years has been regarded as a pro-Russian politician and his position is based, even now, on his friendship with Vladimir Putin. At the time of the Presidency of Viktor Yanukovych, Putin, to manifest his disregard, after a brief meeting with the president would go and spend a long evening at Medvedchuk’s home. The opponents accuse him and the Ukrainian Choice, his organization, of promoting separatism. In 2014, he was, however, invited to join the talks in Minsk, as the special Ukraine’s representative for humanitarian issues, and became engaged in the issue of prisoners exchange. Critics widely differ in the evaluation of his activities. Some say that although Medvedchuk is pro-Russian, every opportunity to release the Ukrainian prisoners should be used. Others indicate that Russia, this way, strengthens the political position and influence of the politician who works in their favour.