Zelensky vs Novinsky: Orthodox oligarch promises a retaliatory strike
15 May 2025 10:22
Former MP and sanctioned Ukrainian-Russian oligarch Vadym Novynskyi broke his political silence and issued a statement against President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi. The fugitive threatens to make public information that “does not honor” the President. He published this statement on Facebook, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Zelenskyy’s outburst
At a press conference on May 13, President Zelensky explained that his famous decree banning negotiations with Putin did not apply to him. He called the widespread belief that he had to cancel this decree in order to negotiate “the narrative of the Russians.”
In this context, Zelenskyy also mentioned Novynskyi. In fact, he accused the former MP of treason.
“It all started when Mr. Medvedchuk’s people, Novynskyi… represented Putin’s interests, speaking directly to me on the phone at the most difficult moment when we were under blockade. They talked about how Ukraine should be defined, how and where I should run, otherwise I would not be there, my family would not be there, and so on. There were a lot of such ultimatums, when someone representing the interests of Russia, namely Putin, gave the appropriate signals. So, all these people communicated with Putin and really wanted to represent the interests of Ukraine,”
– zelensky said.
It was in this context, when there were so many people around trying to represent someone, that a decree was issued banning negotiations with Putin, the president explained.
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Novinsky’s response
This is not the first time Zelensky has spoken about Novynskyi in a less than positive manner, but this time he was “triggered.” And Novinsky, who has recently been posting on social media only on Orthodox topics, issued an indignant statement on Facebook.
Interestingly, he acknowledged the fact of his communication with the Russians, but stated that it took place with the permission of the President of Ukraine.
“… in the first days of the war, it was at his personal request and with the knowledge of the heads of the security forces and his inner circle, I did contact a number of people in the Russian Federation, coordinating all my actions with the President of Ukraine, helping to organize the negotiation process of the Ukrainian and Russian groups in Gomel,”
– novinsky wrote.
However, he did not in any way persuade Zelensky to surrender, the former MP claims:
“There was no question of any proposal to escape, surrender or other actions on my part – the subject of discussion was exclusively the negotiation framework preceding the meeting between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia.”
Novinsky therefore accused Zelensky of “absolute rudeness and outright slander.” And Novinsky will not let this go.
First, he is demanding that his phone conversations with Zelenskyy and other participants in the process be made public without any bills. And secondly, he promised to publish dirt on Zelenskyy.
“During all this time, I did not want to mention many unpleasant moments associated with the country’s top leadership in the first days of the war, but Mr. Zelensky’s statements force me to reveal certain details that do not do honor to him or many people around him. In the near future, I will decide how and when I will make public the data I have witnessed,”
– the fugitive wrote.
He also reserved the right to file a lawsuit against Zelensky “to protect his honor and dignity from rude and false accusations.”
Context of the confrontation
However, the real irritants that caused Novinsky’s rage were probably not Zelensky’s unpleasant words, but the activities that Ukrainian law enforcement officers have recently launched around him.
A week ago, Kyiv’s Pechersk District Court seized the fugitive MP’s property. At the request of the State Bureau of Investigation, his real estate was seized: a 666.7-square-meter apartment in the center of Kyiv, two plots of land in Kozyn, and a 2017 Mercedes-Benz V250 d.
The court also seized UAH 8 million in bail that Novynskyi posted back in 2016 for the former deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Oleksandr Orlov, a suspect in the 2014 Odesa riots case. Despite the Odesa court’s decision to return the funds, they are still on deposit with the court administration.
According to the court, the seizure of assets is necessary for possible confiscation in case of proof of guilt.
Earlier, in January 2025, Ukrainian law enforcement officers managed to serve Novinsky with a suspicion of treason and incitement to religious hatred in absentia.
Even earlier, in April-May 2023, the SBU seized Novinsky’s property worth UAH 14 billion.
So, it is likely that this activity of the Ukrainian authorities began to cause Novinsky some inconvenience where he is. And the Orthodox oligarch decided to try to strike back. However, he still has to wait until Novinsky decides “how and when” he will make the data public.
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