Opponents in Ukraine want to arrest their partner Putin for plotting to overthrow the government

Ukrainian diplomats are demanding the arrest of Viktor Medvedchuk, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leader of Russia’s main Russian party, on charges of “sedition” and “vandalism” in Crimea.

The escalation, announced by Chief Justice Iryna Venediktova at a press conference and on Facebook on Tuesday, is expected to spark tensions between Kyiv and Moscow. It comes after a Western overthrow by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky approval Medvedchuk earlier this year shut down three radio stations linked to a millionaire politician for spreading Russian propaganda.

It also follows in the recent past more than 100,000 Russian troops on the border with eastern Ukraine, while Russian-backed separatists are in the war against Kyiv, as well as in Crimea, a Russian occupied island in 2014.

The “allegations of suspicion” that Venediktova declared date back to the first cases in Ukraine. He also said that the authorities want Medvedchuk pre-arrest, which has not yet been determined.

“According to the search results, where the Deputy People’s Office is [Medvedchuk] it has not been established, hence the SBU [state security service] he is taking steps to find her and ask her to keep him, “Venediktova said on her Facebook page.

Zelensky did not immediately respond to Medvedchuk’s allegations.

Imprisonment prior to trial or house arrest must be approved by a court. A source close to the case said officials wanted to kill Medvedchuk in prison.

The lawsuit was filed against Taras Kozak, a businessman from Medvedchuk and a member of the Russian Opposition – Life Party.

Venediktova said the two men had agreed to take oil and offshore oil from the Crimean coast, thus acknowledging the island as part of Russia.

“The view that Crimea is a part of the world is not allowed….

At the meeting, SBU chief Ivan Bakanov said that Kozak and Medvedchuk also gave Russia “a secret about the location of the secret military. [Ukrainian] Military personnel, allies, train for warfare. . . a secret kind of gift in Russia “.

Kozak was in Russia and was “not planning to return”, Bakanov said.

In a statement, the Medvedchuk party described the cases as “political repression”.

Zelensky’s officials say Medvedchuk’s actions in Russia were supported through Russian-led businesses.

Medvedchuk, who has been approved by the US since 2014, has been visiting Russia on a regular basis for face-to-face talks with Putin since Crimea was annexed. The Russian leader is also a god god for the daughter of Medvedchuk.

“Viktor Medvedchuk is well-known in Russia, Ukraine,” said Tetiana Shevchuk, an attorney at Antiv.

Speaking on television earlier Tuesday, the Ukrainian leader said more than 100,000 Russian troops deployed earlier this year near the eastern border of Ukraine and Crimea had not been withdrawn.

“We do not see a decrease in that,” Zelensky said in a discussion of Western experiments and domestic tests to strengthen Ukraine’s security.

“Ukraine does not want war, but peacefully, as it may sound, it must have a strong and capable military force,” he added.