US corruption runs rampant in Ukraine conflict – politician

Business & Economy August 11, 2023, 23:14

Chairman of the Council of the Other Ukraine Movement Viktor Medvedchuk noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky made the entire Ukrainian people a victim of this scheme

MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/. The United States authorities are exploiting Ukraine for the sake of their own corrupt interests and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is sacrificing all of Ukraine for the sake of this scheme, Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian politician and chairman of the Council of the Other Ukraine movement, said in an article published on the Smotrim.ru website.

"Behind the Ukraine conflict is an enormous corruption scheme, into which the United States has dragged most of European politics," he wrote. "And President Zelensky is a showman and the kingpin of this scheme. <…> And the West is up to its ears in this corruption scheme, but the only way out will involve a massive political crisis."

Medvedchuk recalled that Ukraine is first and foremost a family "feed trough" for US President Joe Biden, who is demanding more and more military aid for Kiev in order "to defend democracy."

"One cannot but remember the scheme of aid to Ukraine under President [Barack] Obama and Vice President Joe Biden that was uncovered by lawyer Rudolf Giuliani," the Ukrainian politician wrote. "Under it, 80% of the aid remained in the United States. Translated into the language of corruption, this is an 80% kickback. Naturally, Biden would declare anyone he wants ‘a democrat’ and ‘a defender of European values’ for such money."

The scheme began with the scandal that came to light in 2019 where Burisma, a company operating in Ukraine, and US Wirelogic Technology were involved in "an entire money laundering scheme, through which Biden Jr. was making millions of dollars."

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who had obtained this evidence, was fired at the personal insistence of Biden, who was US vice president at that time.

Medvedchuk said that "Biden blackmailed Ukraine’s then-president [Pyotr] Poroshenko by saying that the United States would deny a billion dollars in aid."

"As we understand, it was not a billion, but about 200 million, as the remaining 800 million dollars was left in the United States at Biden’s disposal," the politician wrote. "Poroshenko intentionally opted to ‘milk’ the money, sacrificing Shokin to the corruption scheme. After that, the next Ukrainian president, Zelensky, will make the entire Ukrainian people a victim of this scheme."

"It is this scheme that makes it clear why Ukraine is being given such mammoth aid," Medvedchuk stressed. "The United States will hold its presidential election next year, so Biden needs to substantially milk the American budget. Military operations ‘to protect democracy’ are the best pretext for why the US is banning Zelensky from negotiations. The longer the war drags on, the more money ends up in the pockets of Democrats. But the Ukrainians will pay for these profits with their blood and the destruction of the country."

Military antiques

The Ukrainian politician pointed out that "military antiques are being funneled" to Ukraine "from all over the world." As an example, he referred to the fact that the Leopard 1 tank was developed in 1965 and withdrawn from service in 2002, while the France-supplied VAB armored personnel carriers and AMX-10 RC light tanks were designed in the 1970s. Besides, the United States plans to send older versions of the M1 Abrams tanks, removing all the advanced technology from them.

"How much equipment will they really scrounge, how much will a tank cost after that, including a military cost, and is there a corruption component?" Medvedchuk wondered. "Biden is highly unlikely to change the 80% to 20% formula. However, even a tiny breakdown in any combat equipment risks the lives of ordinary soldiers. But a damaged vehicle can be replaced with a new one, while the corruption scheme goes on and on," he concluded.

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