Difference between revisions of "Arsen Avakov"

Revision as of 22:39, May 17, 2022

Zelensky and Avakov.^[1]

Arsen Avakov was a key organizer of the Maidan coup. He was appointed Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs on February 22, 2014 and served in that capacity until 2021. On June 14, 2024, the Russian Federation requested that Avakov be placed on Interpol's wanted list for "the use of prohibited means and methods of warfare, aggravated murder, the obstruction of professional activities of journalists, and abduction.^[2] He previously served as Governor of Kharkiv Oblast from 2005 and 2010.

Avakov was one of the organizers of the pre-Maidan 'Euro 2012' event, authorized the formation of a paramilitary force of 12,000 men around the neo-Nazi hooligans of the "Sect 82" to defend the "revolution". After becoming Interior Minister, on May 5, 2014, the Azov Battalion or "Eastern Corps" formed out of Sect 82 and was officially incorporated into the Ukrainian armed services. Its first commander was Andriy Biletsky,^[3][4] known as the "White Führer".^[5]

Collusion with Nazis

In March 2015, Avakov negotiated with the U.S. Pentagon for military training to be given by U.S. Special Forces to the Azov Regiment as part of Operation Fearless Guardian. Reps. John Conyers, Jr. and Ted Yoho denounced the idea. They argued that arming Islamists in Afghanistan had made possible the formation of al-Qaeda and the spread of terrorism. They convinced members of Congress that the United States could not train neo-Nazis without risking the consequences. The congressmen therefore forbade the Pentagon to pursue and arm the Azov Regiment with rocket launchers (MANPADs) during the vote on the defense budget.^[6] Alternatively then, some Azov units received NATO training in Canada.^[7] However, the Pentagon succeeded in having the amendment withdrawn,^[8] prompting protests from the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Collusion with Democrats

See also: Ukrainian collusion

On November 28, 2015 the spokesman for the Arsen's Ministry of Internal Affairs said there were no criminal investigations in which Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash was a suspect for his involvement with the democratically elected regime that was overthrown in the fascist Maidan coup.^[9] The next day Avakov said that Firtash would be detained upon arrival if the Obama Justice Department asked to do so.^[10]

Politico reported the commander of Ukraine’s nationalist Azov Battalion, said that his volunteer fighters would arrest Firtash themselves if government forces failed to do so. Avakov later posted a Facebook photo of his armed men waiting for Firtash's arrival at Kyiv's Borispol airport.

On December 2, 2015 Firtash announced his intention to return to Ukraine to address the General Assembly of the Federation of Employers (FEU). Joe Biden, Ukrainian strongman Petro Poroshenko, and Arsen Avakov took steps to prevent Firtash's return.^[11] The next day Politico reported that the Obama/Biden administration wanted their Ukrainian allies to arrest Firtash. The article stated:

In February 2017, days after the resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, DOJ coup plotters were granted an extradition request for Firtash by an Austrian court on fabricated charges.^[13] Special Counsel prosecutor Andrew Weissmann for the Mueller team then investigating President Trump made an unsolicited proffer to drop the fabricated charges if Firtash would lie under oath and say that President Trump was colluding with Russia.^[14][15] Firtash's attorney at the time, Victoria Toensing, home was later raided by the Merrick Garland Department of Justice shortly after the Biden regime seized power in 2021.^[16]

References