Ukraine: businessman and deputy close to Putin questioned by security services

A wealthy businessman and Ukrainian deputy known to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin was questioned on Tuesday by the Ukrainian security services (SBU), his party and Ukrainian law enforcement officials said.

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"

" his opposition Platform-For Life party said in a statement.

"

", he underlines, while denouncing a "

".

The SBU press service confirmed the interrogation, without further details.

A source within the police assured for its part to AFP that the deputy had been summoned as part of an investigation for "

".

A criminal investigation for high treason was opened against Viktor Medvedchouk in February 2019 after his call to grant autonomy to the separatist eastern regions of Ukraine.

Last month, the Ukrainian Security and National Defense Council decided to impose sanctions on Viktor Medvedchouk and his wife Oksana Martchenko, a former television presenter, their names appearing, according to the council, in a criminal investigation for "

”.

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At the beginning of February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky banned three pro-Russian televisions considered to be controlled by Viktor Medvedtchouk and which have become, according to Kiev, "

".

Showing firmly anti-NATO and anti-European Union positions, Viktor Medvedchuk regularly accuses Kiev of "

" to end the war with the separatists and pleads, like Moscow, in favor of a federalization of the Ukraine.

He had served for several years as the Ukrainian representative in negotiations with the rebels, a function which had been imposed by Moscow, according to Kiev.