Former pro-Russian Ukrainian lawmaker Viktor Medvedchuk allegedly sent a letter to Donald Trump claiming that “Ukraine's trace may appear” in the attempt on the presidential candidate's life, Russian state news agency TASS claimed on July 16.
In the text, which TASS claimed to have obtained, Medvedchuk calls Trump a "personal enemy" of President Volodymyr Zelensky. He did not provide clear evidence for his claims, reiterating the narratives of Russian propaganda.
On the campaign trail, Trump has repeatedly said he could end Russia's war within 24 hours if elected president, without specifying the steps for reaching a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.
Following an assassination attempt at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, Zelensky wished the former U.S. president "a speedy recovery." Ukraine's President said Kyiv is ready to cooperate with the Republican Party if Trump is elected as the U.S. president.
Medvedchuk urged Trump to stop U.S. support of Ukraine, including the weapons deliveries, and impose sanctions on the “most odious and corrupt representatives” of the Ukrainian authorities.
The pro-Kremlin businessman "wished Trump health, resilience and victory in the upcoming U.S. presidential election," TASS claimed.
Medvedchuk, who was long thought to be Russian President Vladimir Putin's right-hand man in Ukraine, was detained and exchanged with Russia in a prisoner swap in 2022.
The former Ukrainian politician was then reportedly involved in a number of pro-Kremlin disinformation and propaganda operations aimed both against Ukraine and Western countries.
In early June, the Washington Post reported, citing undisclosed officials and documents, that a Russian propaganda operation was meant to present Medvedchuk to the international public as a potential replacement for Zelensky.
Medvedchuk has been sanctioned by Ukraine, the U.K., the U.S., the EU, and other countries. Czechia's crackdown led to investigations of Russian influence across Europe and implicated several politicians, namely in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, in allegedly receiving money from Russia.
Chris York
