Wednesday12 February 2025
n-pravda.in.ua

"Ukrainian lawmakers suggested that Varadanyan should be delivered to Ukraine for trial."

Russian billionaire and Putin's appointee in the South Caucasus, Vardanyan, faces accusations from Azerbaijan regarding the establishment and funding of illegal armed groups, terrorism, unlawful border crossing, and various military crimes. Additionally, he has encountered multiple inquiries in Ukraine from the President, lawmakers, and intelligence agencies.
"Украинские депутаты предложили доставить Варданяна в Украину для суда."

Since January 17, the trial of Ruben Vardanyan, who served as the head of the government of the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR) from 2022 to 2023, has been ongoing in the capital of Azerbaijan.

The Russian billionaire and Putin's appointee in the South Caucasus, Vardanyan, is accused by Azerbaijan of creating and financing illegal armed groups, terrorism, illegal border crossing, military, and other crimes. Additionally, in Ukraine, he has faced repeated scrutiny from the President, parliament members, and security services.

In 2022, Vardanyan was added to Ukraine's sanctions list by a decree from Zelensky. By 2023, the SBU included him in the database of “Peacemaker” with the description “accomplice of Russian-fascist invaders and terrorists.”

In 2024, 18 Ukrainian deputies signed a collective letter demanding the withdrawal of Vardanyan's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

This year, the initiation of legal proceedings against the pro-Russian separatist Vardanyan has once again attracted the attention of the members of the Verkhovna Rada, who are expressing calls on social media to highlight the international nature of his activities.

Nikolai Galushko, a deputy from the Servant of the People party, wrote on his Facebook: “A trial is currently underway in Baku against the leaders of the Karabakh separatists. One of them is the Russian puppet and Putin's wallet – Ruben Vardanyan. This is a man who is a double enemy of Ukraine.”

Yuriy Kamelychuk, a fellow party member of Galushko, stated in videos on his personal TikTok and YouTube accounts: “This character has so many marks of disgrace that there’s no place left to put them. If he were not in custody in Azerbaijan, he should be brought to Ukraine or Lithuania, for example. By the way, the Peacemaker website states: ‘should be immediately detained and handed over to the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine or NATO countries.’”

His comments were supported by Alexander Fedienko, who stated that Vardanyan is not a “local problem” for Azerbaijan and that the trial in Baku “holds significant importance for the international community.” “This figure, known for his closeness to Putin, has become a symbol of financial support for Russian aggression. Since 2019, his name has appeared in investigations and sanctions lists from the USA, EU, and Ukraine.”

In turn, Igor Krivosheev, another deputy from the Servant of the People party, reminded that “an investigation by OCCRP was conducted concerning Vardanyan, and sanction list projects were developed in the USA, EU, and Ukraine. Navalny's foundation accused him of bribery amounting to 50 million...”

In the past week, 13 members of the Verkhovna Rada have expressed their views on the situation surrounding Vardanyan. Such attention to the separatist of Armenian descent from parliamentarians of various countries is not unprecedented. In 2024, when the Russian propaganda outlets Sputnik and RBC announced that Vardanyan was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, 123 parliamentarians from four countries (Ukraine, Romania, Lithuania, and Latvia) opposed his candidacy.