Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian politician and the leader of the pro-Russian opposition party “For Life,” pleaded with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week to trade him for safe passage of Ukrainian citizens.
Medvedchuk, who was charged with treason and captured by Ukrainian forces last week, appeared in a video posted by the Ukrainian Security Service asking the presidents of Ukraine and Russia to engage in a prisoner swap.
“I, Viktor Volodymyrovych Medvedchuk, want to appeal to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a request that the Ukrainian side exchange me for the defenders of Mariupol and the residents who are there today and do not have the possibility of a safe exit through humanitarian corridors,” Medvedchuk says in the video.
Medvedchuk was accused in 2021 of funneling money from a Russian refinery to the separatist forces in the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic. He faced sanctions as a result of the accusations, which he denies, which included the freezing of both his and his wife’s assets for three years.
On February 27, 2022, Medvedchuk escaped house arrest as Ukrainian forces fought back against Russian invaders. The politician’s lawyer claimed that he fled to safety in Kyiv after threats were made against him. On April 12, Medvedchek was caught by the Ukrainian Security Service and offered as part of a proposed prisoner swap.
Photographs of Medvedchuk wearing a Ukrainian military uniform and handcuffs were released soon after.
The pro-Kremlin Ukrainian tycoon appears to have lost the loyalty and support of the Russian president.
Captured British Soldiers Ask for Prisoners Swap with Putin
On Monday, two British fighters who volunteered to assist Ukrainian forces appeared on Russian state television asking to be exchanged for Viktor Medvedchuk.
The footage was aired on the Rossiya 24 state-run television channels, and little in the details were provided about its origins. The men appear to be prompted to speak by an unidentified man. Speaking one after the other, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner asked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to assist with a transfer of prisoners.
The unidentified man who prompted the two British fighters to speak also appeared on the video showing then a video of Oksana Medvedchuk, the wife of the Ukrainian tycoon, who also appealed for her husband to be swapped for the British soldiers.
In the video, Pinner was seen wearing a blue sweatshirt looking nervous.
“I understand the situation,” he said. “I’d like to appeal to the government to send me back home, I’d like to see my wife again.”
“We look to exchange myself and Aiden Aslin for Mr. Medvedchuk. Obviously, I would really appreciate your help in this matter,” Pinner added, insisting that both men had been treated well.
Russia initially refused to engage in a prisoner swap for Medvedchuk, opting instead to warn Ukraine to “watch out” after taking him hostage.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
