Biden’s son calls Ukraine a “viper pit of corruption”
25 December 05:44
The son of former US President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, has publicly criticized key decisions of his father’s administration, including immigration policy and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. He also spoke negatively about the level of corruption in Ukraine, describing it as a “viper’s nest.” Hunter Biden said this in an interview with Sean Ryan’s podcast. His words are quoted by the New York Post.
“Hypocrites” from Obama’s environment
According to Mr. Biden, Obama’s advisers forced him to curtail his domestic lobbying activities in the United States, fearing a conflict of interest due to his father’s position. He called the officials at the time “unpleasant” and “hypocritical” and said that pressure from them forced him to start his career from scratch.
“They said I had to give up my job. It was voluntary, but under serious pressure – not from my father, but from people on the Obama team,” he said.
Prior to that, Hunter worked with more than a dozen Jesuit universities and considered this practice his main professional activity.
“A viper’s den” Of Ukraine and Burisma
After winding down his domestic business, Hunter Biden founded a consulting company and later joined the board of directors of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings in 2014. According to US media, he received about $1 million a year, with no experience in the energy sector.
In the podcast, Biden admitted that he was “very naive” about the level of corruption in Ukraine:
“I didn’t realize what a viper’s den it was. The level of corruption there was and remains staggering,” he said.
At the same time, he insists that his work at Burisma was a mistake not for legal reasons, but because of the political implications for the entire Biden family.
Chinese connections and “10% for the big guy”
Mr. Hunter also downplayed allegations of cooperation with Chinese companies linked to the Chinese government and the controversial 2017 “10% for the big guy” letter, which critics interpreted as a possible benefit for his father. Biden called it a fabrication of his partners and assured that he had never done business with foreign governments.
Criticism of the Biden administration
In addition, Hunter Biden again harshly criticized the actions of his father’s administration:
- called the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2021 a “clear failure” that cost the lives of 13 US marines;
- he spoke out sharply about illegal migration, effectively echoing Donald Trump’s rhetoric about the need for border control.
Debts, pardons and new scandals
Hunter Biden said that he has about $15 million in debts and does not understand how to pay them off after numerous lawsuits and investigations.
He also attributed his tax and weapons crimes to his drug addiction, for which he was pardoned by his father in 2024.
As a reminder, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to charges of violating federal tax laws. However, his father pardoned him in the last days of his presidency.
Donald Trump has called the pardon of White House Chief of Staff Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, an “abuse” and a “miscarriage of justice.”
