The Ukraine Salvation Committee (Ukrainian: Комітет спасіння України; Russian: Комитет спасения Украины) is a Russia-controlled initiative by former high-ranking Ukrainian officials from the Viktor Yanukovych administration, that claimed to be a government in exile of Ukraine.[1][2][3]

Its office is located in Moscow, and it is financed by Ukrainian oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko.[4][5]

Creation

In February 2015, former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov announced his intention to a create a Ukrainian "government in exile".[6] The official announcement that the organization had been created came on 29 July from Azarov's representatives.[7][8]

On 3 August 2015 in Moscow, in Hotel Ukraina, a press conference was held by Azarov - who was now head of the committee - along with other former people's deputies of Ukraine Volodymyr Oliynyk and Ihor Markov. Azarov announced the creation of the Committee for the Salvation of Ukraine, along with his reasonings for doing so and the position of the committee regarding the political situation.[9][2]

Membership and structure

The Ukraine Salvation Committee has emerged as a platform for former high-ranking Ukrainian officials from the Viktor Yanukovych administration, who moved to Russia in late 2013 and early 2014 during and following the Revolution of Dignity that ousted Yanukovych.[10] Many of the members are under sanctions from Western countries or have arrest warrants in Ukraine or other countries.[11]

In addition to Azarov, Oliynyk and Markov, the committee includes former Ukrainian parliamentarian Oleg Tsaryov, and Yury Kot.[12][10]

Azarov has called himself the "shadow prime minister of Ukraine", and Oliynik the "probable presidential candidate".[1][13]

Positions

At the 3 August 2015 press conference, Azarov announced his vision for the key positions of the committee, stating how he wanted to bring Ukraine out of "crisis". He called the post-revolution government a "junta", and recommended to stop resisting Russia and stop moving towards a Western alignment. Azarov also spoke in favor of regionalism in Ukraine, and making the Russian language official on a federal level.[12]

The committee uses common Russian propaganda tropes.[12][14][11][10][13][9][15]

Reactions

The Committee has been featured prominently in propaganda from Russian state media.[16]

The Russian government claimed that it had nothing to do with the creation of the group.[17][18]

Ukrainian and Russian opposition outlets have mainly dismissed the group as Russian puppets.[19]

Ihor Markov, was detained on 12 August 2015 in Sanremo, Italy, at the request of Ukrainian law enforcement. The committee protested his arrest and called on Italy and Interpol to release Markov.[20] Italy eventually refused to extradite Markov to Ukraine, citing perceived political motives for the request.[21]

The General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine has designated the creation of the committee as criminal, as per laws prohibiting calling for the overthrowing of the Ukrainian government on mass media. The investigation is ongoing.[22]

The Committee initiated a case in the Moscow District Court seeking for Russia to recognize the Revolution of Dignity as a coup, which was successful.[23] Ukrainian authorities have said such actions are legally void.[24]

Sanctions

In September 2016, the United States Department of Commerce sanctioned the committee as part of an expansion of sanctions on organizations involved in the war in Donbas. This means that the committee and Azarov himself cannot have any commercial relations with American citizens or residents, and any of their money, if under American control, will be frozen.[25]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Азаров у Москві зібрав "комітет порятунку" України із Царьовим та Олійником / ТСН, 29 липня, 15:33". 29 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Азаров збирає уряд у вигнанні і створює «Комітет порятунку України» / 112 Україна, 3 серпня 2015". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  3. ↑ "Повод посмеяться. Зачем Москве понадобилось "альтернативное правительство Украины" / Слон, 30 июля, 17:17". Archived from the original on 30 July 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "Дворец за 2 млрд и «крыша» ФСБ — как обустроился в Москве беглый олигарх Курченко / The Insider, 11.04.2017". Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "АХМЕТОВ ОСТАТОЧНО «ВІДЖАВ» У ЯНУКОВИЧА ДОНБАС? / dsnews.ua, 21 вересня 2015". Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "Азаров хочет создать «правительство Украины в изгнании» / Корреспондент.net, 21 февраля 2015, 16:09". Archived from the original on 16 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Азаров и Царев создают в России "Комитет спасения Украины" — СМИ / bigmir)net, 29 июля, 16:02". 29 July 2015. Archived from the original on 5 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "СМИ: Азаров создает в России «Комитет спасения Украины» / Гордон, 29 июля 2015 14:32". Archived from the original on 31 July 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Азаров заявил о создании Комитета спасения Украины / Интерфакс, 12:13, 3 августа 2015". Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 "В Москве создали Комитет спасения Украины / Слон, 03.08.2015 12:22". Archived from the original on 20 October 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  11. 1 2 Свобода, Радіо (3 August 2015). "У Росії екс-прем'єр Азаров оголосив про створення «комітету порятунку України» / Радіо Свобода, 03 серпня 2015, 16:22". Радіо Свобода. Archived from the original on 22 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 "Азаров і Ко з «комітету порятунку України» розповіли, чим збираються займатися Російська Федерація, / ТСН, 03.08.2015, 12:32". 3 August 2015. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  13. 1 2 "«Комітет порятунку України» хоче суду над Януковичем / Espreso.tv, 3 серпня 2015 13:44". Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  14. ↑ "Кремлевские спасатели идут на помощь: Азаров объявил о создании «Комитета спасения Украины»". Archived from the original on 6 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  15. ↑ "Чип и Дейл спешат на помощь: Азаров и Ко создали Комитет спасения Украины / Обозреватель, 03 августа 2015, 13:43". 3 August 2015. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "Презентація «Комітету порятунку України» в Москві зібрала чотири фургони RussiaToday / Espreso.tv, 3 серпня 2015 12:12". Archived from the original on 5 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  17. ↑ "У Путина открестились от азаровского «Комитета спасения Украины» / Сегодня, 03.08.2015 13:32". Archived from the original on 20 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  18. ↑ "Кремль відхрестився від «Комітету порятунку України» / Espreso.tv, 3 серпня 2015 13:22". Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  19. ↑ "Иван Яковина. 3 августа: Нефть ниже $50 и Азаров на арене / Новое время, 03.08.2015". Archived from the original on 4 August 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  20. ↑ "Кремлівські ЗМІ від імені Азарова вимагають від Італії випустити Маркова / ЕП, 12 серпня 2015, 19:02". Archived from the original on 12 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  21. ↑ "Український Інтерпол підтвердив: Італія відмовилася видати Маркова". Archived from the original on 10 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  22. ↑ "ГПУ открыла криминальное производство по факту заявлений московского «Комитета спасения Украины». Документ / Новое время, 15 августа 2015, 18:33". Archived from the original on 16 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  23. ↑ "Николай Азаров: создание правительства в изгнании вполне реально / Известия, 9 января 2017". 9 January 2017. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  24. ↑ "Турчинов: позов про «переворот» — маразм, із яким краще до психіатра / УП, 15 грудня 2016". Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  25. ↑ "Тетяна Ворожко. Під нові санкції США потрапив Микола Азаров та будівельники Керченського мосту / Голос Америки, 7 вересня 2016". 7 September 2016. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
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