Has Volodymyr Zelensky decided to clean up the world of Ukrainian oligarchs and elites? For several days, a presidential decree has been circulating, according to which a certain number of political and business figures have had their Ukrainian nationality withdrawn.
This week, former journalist Serhiy Leshchenko, now an adviser to the president, posted on his Twitter account a curiously unsigned presidential decree, which indicates that eight political figures have had their Ukrainian citizenship revoked, reports our correspondent in Kyiv, Stephane Siohan.
Among these names, one in particular stands out: the oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. The man, one of the three richest in Ukraine, is the sulphurous owner of 1+1, the private television on which Zelensky became a star of the small screen. He supported and financed the race for the presidency of the former comedian.
In the list, we also find Vadym Rabinovitch, one of the former bosses of the pro-Russian party. Or Gennady Korban, a local boss from the city of Dnipro, long allied with Ihor Kolomoisky. The peculiarity of these men is that almost all of them have Israeli passports, while dual citizenship is prohibited by Ukrainian law.
No comment from the presidency
For the moment, the Ukrainian presidency refuses to comment, and Ihor Kolomoisky does not respond to calls from journalists. Only, this Saturday, the businessman Gennady Korban was arrested at the border between Poland and Ukraine, the customs officers did not let him enter his country.