Russia: Putin promises to respond after lawsuit against one of his relatives in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin sent a very clear message to the Ukrainian authorities: "We will have to react in due time and in an appropriate way".
AP - Alexei Druzhinin
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
This is yet another source of contention between Russia and Ukraine.
The prosecutions for "high treason
Against a Ukrainian oligarch close to Vladimir Poutine pushed the Russian president to react this Friday, May 14 in a very firm way.
In the eyes of the Russian president, this affair aims to "
clean up
" the Ukrainian political landscape, and it will not remain without consequences.
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With our correspondent in Moscow,
Daniel Vallot
Viktor Medvedtchouk narrowly escaped prison and will finally be under house arrest until next July, pending his trial for "
high treason
".
But this rather lenient measure of Ukrainian justice did not prevent Vladimir Poutine from banging his fist on the table and denouncing prosecutions intended to “
clean up
”, according to him, the Ukrainian political landscape.
It must be said that Viktor Medvedchouk is not the first oligarch to come: he is the leader of the main pro-Russian party in Ukraine, and he is close to the Russian president - who is said to be the godfather of one of his daughters. .
The 66-year-old businessman is accused not only of "high treason" but also of "
plundering of natural resources in Crimea ”, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
► See also:
Ukraine: two pro-Russian deputies and oligarchs indicted for national treason
Without naming him explicitly, Vladimir Poutine sent a very clear message to the Ukrainian authorities: "
We will have to react in due time and in an appropriate way
", declared the Russian president thus.
The fear of a major military offensive in the Donbass has barely subsided when a new dispute is already opening up, fraught with consequences, between Ukraine and Russia.
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Russia
Ukraine
Vladimir Poutine