Gas, bonds, land, the Prime Minister and Attorney General. What are the real interests of George Soros in Ukraine?

The lawyer of the President of the USA Rudy Giuliani has again hit the headlines in the Ukrainian media.

In an interview with New York Magazine he declared that the famous American financier and philanthropist George Soros, in which the current head of the White house Donald trump sees a consistent opponent lobbied for the appointment of several U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine.

“He put all four ambassadors there,” said Giuliani in an interview, without specifying precisely which of the ambassadors he has in mind. But, apparently, he means the one who recently left the post - Marie Yovanovitch, one in particular whom Guiliani calls “controlled by Soros”.

In response, according to Giuliani, philanthropist through subservient media are spreading lies about him.

In Ukraine, Soros also credited the media liaison, but not only. Popular opinion expressed its broad interest in our country, and invisible presence by the dozen sponsored through grants to organizations and a network of agents of influence, for which pro-Russian detractors have already came up with the nickname “Soros-kiddies”.

"The Nation" has decided to find out what is the role of the Soros Foundation in fact.

For many opponents of Western intervention in Ukrainian Affairs, Soros has long been its personification, the main and in fact the only conductor, the demonization of which is permanent.

But in reality the Western element in Ukraine is mixed. To reduce it to single out Soros and his influence is incorrect, although it has become a habit.

"Today, “Soros” - is a collective image, conventionally speaking, a group of Western creditors and representatives of the American and European establishment, influencing processes in Ukraine. However, to say that the American billionaire is all day thinking what to do with Ukraine, it would be an exaggeration. But he was among those who defines the contours of the external control of our country,” says political scientist Ruslan Bortnik to our reporter.

However, judging by the few interviews of Soros in Ukrainian media, he is too well aware about the nuances of Ukrainian politics freely in terms of names and terms. Or is it evidence of good preparation for these talks but that's impossible without strong interest in Ukraine.

The term “Soros-kiddies” is also applied to different types of people, regardless of whether they are relevant to the NGOs of George Soros in Ukraine. The main thing that they were associated with is the West politically, economically and ideologically. Such people today have a lot of power, which generally understandable given the influence of the West on the country. But we can say that with their help, the team of President Vladimir Zelensky compensate for their own shortage of personnel and reluctance to invite people from the previous ruling teams, especially of the former President Viktor Yanukovych.

“You can say that Zelensky is sinking in the second wave of henchmen contingent of the West. The previous wave was experienced by Poroshenko. Those who came today at the call of Zelensky, when his predecessor fallen on the sidelines. We are seeing the result of a serious personnel management work by NGOs. Different interest groups through its own programmes invested in the training of new generations of managers with the proper political and ideological orientations. So there will be more - third, fourth wave,” says the analyst Bortnik.

In this environment, however, there are currents. You can talk about the intraspecific competition of training, due, in particular, the emergence of independent sources of funding. For structures of the Soros Foundation in Ukraine, it became a hit.

“In the past from the international Fund “Vidrodzhennya” (the main structure of the Soros Foundation in Ukraine - Ed.) was a monopoly on grants, which allowed to influence the environment for civil society, today the list of donors includes several dozen and not only Soros. The agenda of civil society is formed from different sides, and not according to the specified rate”, - said political analyst Anatoly Artisyuk, who is among the founders of the public organization “House of democracy”.

Executive Director of “Vidrodzhennya” Oleksandr Sushko recognizes the diversity of civil society in its current state.

“The situation that was, for example, in 2014, when a very large stratum of the civil society came together and offered a common agenda, and even the General solution, is not there”, - cited the words on the page of “Vidrodzhennya” on Facebook.

Need for a party

Whatever it was, the representation of the politicians sponsored by grant organizations and Western agencies, clearly oriented to the West, remains significant in the government, including Prime Minister Alexei Goncharuk, who until the appointment was the head of expert-analytical center “of effective regulation Office” (BRDO) an NGO working on Western grants.

Serious quota in the Parliament, are represented, according to the observations of “The Nation” in the ruling party “the Servant of the people”, factions “the Voice” and “European solidarity”. For team Zelensky they nevertheless remain strangers, and even headache for their continuous frictions with groups of businessman Igor Kolomoisky who brought president to power.

Political analyst Vadim Karasev said about the possible reshuffle in the government, which is really a persistent rumors. The number of candidates on a departure - the proteges of the West includes the Minister of Economics Tymofiy Mylovanov who are a permanent figure of ongoing corruption scandals.

“But the Prime Minister strongly demonstrates that he is ready to listen and hear the President”, - says expert Karasev.

But if you take the whole Pro-Western lobby, their position remains intact. Prerequisites to the great exile of "Soros-kiddies" from state agencies similiar to that took place in before Poroshenko fall is not possible under Zelensky.

“It remains an unsolved problem for Soros-kiddies to create own strong parties, able to independently compete for power. “The voice” has frankly not pulled it and losing ranking. I assume the main effort of the collective West and structures of Soros will be soon focused on this. As one of the possible figures for the future consolidation considered Oleg Sentsov, who are already building certain political plans,” says an anonymous source in top political circles.

And all the same about Soros

At the same time, a source in political circles, which is in close contact with American institutions, says that the impact of Soros personally in Ukraine is also great.

"Soros has influence on the Prime Minister Goncharuk and the Attorney General Ryaboshapka here. In addition he controls the head of "Naftogaz" Kobolev. Soros and his structures are interested in the land market and they want the Odesa port plant. Also Soros's interests are in the Ukrainian market of Treasury bonds," said the source.

But, he said, to reduce all Western influence in Ukraine to the name of Soros is a great simplification.

"The main influence is on the line of control of Ukrainian authorities by the American government and the American Embassy. In 2017, the public eventually learned of the existence of the Deputy Ambassador of the USA in Ukraine George Kent (now Deputy assistant Secretary for Eurasia - Ed.). As it turned out, he oversees NABU and SAP - top bodies of the Ukrainian law enforcement. And there is a large numbers of "George Kents" big and small on every branch of the Ukrainian government. And these quiet, unknown American bureaucrats have a direct impact on decisions in Ukraine. Someone heard about a man named Martin Neil? Almost none. He is the project Manager for Ukraine of the Institute of defense analysis of the U.S. Department of defense. His verdicts directly affect the fate of the leaders of "Ukroboronprom" and the individual constituent companies of the Ukrainian defence industry. And people like him in Washington and at the American Embassy in Kiev a lot. The Ukrainian government inscribed in the system of US control very tightly. Many convenient to personalize this effect in the figure of George Soros. Although it is actually much bigger and more systemic issue. It is not about control processes in our country by only one, albeit influential, billionaire. We are talking about the system of control over Ukraine from the American state apparatus," - said the source.

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