Zelensky Offers to Exchange Medvedchuk for Ukrainians Captured by Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to exchange the detained MP, Putin ally Viktor Medvedchuk, for Ukrainians captured by Russia.

“It is very symbolic that Medvedchuk was detained on the International Day of Human Space Flight. He hid for 48 days, but finally decided to try to flee our country. Well, the famous phrase ‘Let’s go!’ [said by Yuri Gagarin at launch] did not work for this ‘spaceman,’ in a bad sense. I think it is especially cynical of him to use military camouflage. He tried to disguise. Here you have a ‘warrior.’ Here you have a patriot. Well, if Medvedchuk himself chose a military uniform, then he falls under the rules of wartime.

I suggest that the Russian Federation should exchange his guy for our boys and girls who are currently held in Russian captivity. That is why it is important that our law enforcement agencies and the military also consider such a possibility,” Zelensky said in his evening video address.

“Medvedchuk is very valuable; he is linked to Putin, Russia, the war, the preparation of this war, the organisation of the pro-Russian movement in Ukraine. He will tell a lot of interesting details now,” said Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the Head of the President’s Office.

As a reminder, Victor Medvedchuk was detained as a result of special operation conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine. Last May, the MP was served with notice of charges of treason and an attempt to plunder national resources in the occupied Crimea. He was put under house arrest but managed to escape. Medvedchuk has close personal relations with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader is the godfather to Medvedchuk’s daughter.

Natalia Tolub