Andrey Artemenko

Andrii Viktorovych Artemenko (Ukrainian: Андрій Вікторович Артеменко, born 14 January 1969) is a Ukrainian politician and businessman, the People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 8th convocation of Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) and chairman of the "Solidarity of Right Forces" party (Ukrainian political party).

Andrii Artemenko
Андрій Артеменко
People's Deputy of Ukraine
8th convocation
Assumed office
November 27, 2014
ConstituencyRadical Party, No.16[1]
Personal details
Born
Andrii Viktorovych Artemenko

(1969-01-14) 14 January 1969
Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Political partySolidarity of Right Forces
Alma materKyiv Polytechnic Institute
Websitehttp://www.avartemenko.com/

Education

Artemenko was born in Kiev on January 14, 1969. He started studying in 1976 at Kyiv school No.43. Later he moved to school No. 178 due to its high quality of teaching. It was in school that A. Artemenko showed an interest in history, geography and military training. He paid special attention to geopolitics and various forms of government. Later, together with other famous graduates, he provided various welfare assistance to the school No. 178. In particular, it was assistance in arranging governmental funding for the completion of a second building.

In 1986, Andrii Artemenko entered Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Department of Electric Power Engineering, where he specialized in energy engineering. From 1987 to 1989 he was conscripted in order to serve in the Soviet Army. He served in various military units throughout the Soviet Union. In May 1989, he was transferred to the Armed Forces reserves of the USSR. After coming back to Kiev, he continued his studies in Kiev Polytechnic Institute, at the Computer Science Department and got a Master’s degree in systems engineering in 1993.

Start of business activities

Andrii Artemenko started doing business in the 1990s, in particular, he carried out export and import operations with raw materials for the light industry.

In 1994 he visited the United States for the first time and during this trip attended training courses on "International Sports Law", which prompted him in 1996 to establish a law firm in Ukraine "First Legal Club". This entity was the first such organization in the post-soviet territory, which served most successful sportsmen from the former Soviet Union and provided legal, consulting and management support, as well as their employment abroad.

Andrii Artemenko served as Head of Committee on Status of Football players in Football Federation of Ukraine.

During same period, Artemenko also has started selling broadcasting rights to the world's leading sports competitions to Ukrainian central TV channels - such as: UEFA Champions League, World and European football Cups, Boxing world tournaments and others.

In 1996, he founded Ukrainian Trade Union of professional football players, which is now a member of FIFPRO (part of FIFA since 1998).

In 1999 Andrii Artemenko became the President of the football club CSKA (Kyiv) and held the position until 2000.

Political career

In 1998, he met the public politician, head of the Kiev City State Administration, Oleksandr Omelchenko. That same year, A. Artemenko took part in election campaign of Omelchenko who was elected the Mayor of Kiev. Together they founded a political party called "Unity".

In 2000, he was appointed adviser for the Mayor of Kiev. Artemenko left his office in 2004.

In 2001, during a campaign to discredit Omelchenko, Andrii Artemenko became a subject of attention by the General Prosecutor's Office because of his close connection to the Mayor. The General Prosecutor's Office questioned him repeatedly.

In spring 2002, in an attempt to increase the pressure on O. Omelchenko, Artemenko was arrested. "It was done deliberately. I was held in different remand prisons (SIZO), sometimes in the same cell with persons sick with pulmonary TB. I was ordered by the heads of security agencies to sign a statement saying that Olexander Omelchenko illegally transferred money from accounts of Kiev City State Administration to his political project and to a construction project of his son's facilities. Coercion to give false testimony was unacceptable, so I stayed true to my positions and did not perjure." Artemenko said.

On October 22, 2004, A. Artemenko was released on bail of some MPs. All charges against A. Artemenko were subsequently dropped and the courts of Ukraine confirmed the illegitimacy of the claims. Because of his principal stance on honest position, he was forced unlawfully to spend as long as 2 years 7 months and 21 days in prison.

During first Maidan (2004) he met Yulia Tymoshenko. Later, on a request of Yulia Tymoshenko, he became one of the leaders of her election campaign headquarters, where he succeeded in gaining many constituencies. In 2006 A. Artemenko was elected as a deputy of the Kiev City Council and led the faction of Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. He was also a Deputy Head of Committee for ecological questions of Kiev City Council. A. Artemenko has participated in the development and implementation of many environmental and infrastructural programs successfully executed in city infrastructure and still operating nowadays.

Career in the defense industry

Since 2005 Artemenko founded a number of companies specialized in air transport and military logistics. From 2008 to 2012, his main activities were logistical support in North Africa and the Middle East: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Afghanistan and other countries of the region.

In 2012, he participated in the implementation of a major innovative project in Qatar, which is associated with induced effects on the environment in order to increase the humidity and precipitation. "This was a military technology, developed by military engineers. I was personally engaged in the installation of this technology in Qatar," he stated.

In November 2012, with his personal assistance, the Embassy of Ukraine was opened in the State of Qatar and the State of Qatar embassy was opened accordingly in Ukraine.

Parliamentary activities

Artemenko defines himself as a neoconservative. He held strong positions concerning urgent changes in the state. Therefore, he responded to the invitation of the leader of the Radical Party, Oleh Lyashko, and agreed to be on the list[2] for early parliamentary elections in October 2014.

A. Artemenko realized Ukraine needed an ideological party. He studied the performance and experience of various political systems, taking as an example the activities of political organizations like the US Republican Party and the UK Conservative Party. Together with other like-minded individuals and following his beliefs, he founded a political party called "Solidarity of Right Forces"[3] in November 2014. It was all done in contrast to the numerous and artificial election projects. The "Solidarity of Right Forces" party set a goal to participate in all upcoming elections: local, parliamentary and presidential.

Andrii Artemenko conducts pro-western parliamentary activity. He was the Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on issues of European integration, Subcommittees on Cooperation of Ukraine and NATO and EU Common Security and Defense Policy. Furthermore, he is a member of subcommittee on economic and sectoral cooperation and a free trade zone between Ukraine and the EU. Andrii Artemenko is actively pursuing his personal point of view on non-aligned status of Ukraine, on good-neighborly, friendly and mutually beneficial cooperative relations with neighboring countries. He is not a supporter of Ukraine joining any supranational structure, union, or organization.[4]

Andrii Artemenko headed the Inter-Parliamentary Group of Friendship with Qatar, which included 23 MPs.[5] Besides, he is a co-chair of Parliamentary Friendship Group with Slovenia.

On December 25, 2014 the establishment of inter-factional deputy group "Solidarity of Right Forces" was announced in the Parliament. Andrii Artemenko initiated the formation of the party and eventually headed it. The members of Parliament are working together on the draft bills aimed to solve middle class problems in Ukraine. In particular, creating a favorable legal environment for business, private property protection and fair trial.

Andrii Artemenko authored 37 bills, of which 17 were voted into laws. Some of representative bills are: number 1601 "On Amendments to the administrative-territorial system of Luhansk region, changing and setting boundaries of Popasnjansky and Slavyanoserbsk districts of Luhansk region", number 1310 "On Amendments to Article 41 of the Law of Ukraine" On Joint Stock Companies" (with respect to the quorum of the general meetings of joint stock companies with majority state corporate rights), the bill number 1736 "On the appeal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the European Parliament, the Parliament of the Council of Europe and the national parliaments of the EU Member States, the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia on the issue of the mass shooting of people near Volnovakha", the Resolution number 2066 "On holding parliamentary hearings entitled: "Perspectives of introducing visa free regime for the citizens of Ukraine by the European Union" (May 21–22, 2015).

One of the more popular bills initiated by Andrii Artemenko was on legalization of dual citizenship No. 6139 - which currently enjoys support of incumbent President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

During his tenure as Member of Parliament, Mr. Artemenko criticized Poroshenko’s regime and uncovered facts of internal and international corruption.

Since 2015 Andrii Artemenko has been cooperating with the US investigative authorities in inquiries related to misappropriation of US financial aid to Ukraine by then President Petro Poroshenko.

Pro-Trump position

In 2016, still in the capacity of Ukrainian MP, Andrii Artemenko was the only Ukrainian politician who openly supported then Presidential candidate Donald Trump and demanded that Ukrainian policies were adjusted to take into account Trump’s program at the time when official Ukraine publicly supported Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton.[6] Mr. Artemenko was politically harassed by Poroshenko’s regime, in violation of the Constitution of Ukraine and Civil Code of Ukraine, was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship, MP mandate, and was forced to leave Ukraine together with his family.

Andrii Artemenko challenged this decision in Ukrainian courts but given their bias and loyalty to the then President, Petro Poroshenko, the decision remained in force, which gave him a right in 2017 to bring his case of unlawful deprivation of citizenship to The European Court of Human Rights, where it is being considered to the present.

On August 11, 2020, the Central Office of the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine began a pre-trial investigation of a criminal offense under Article 367 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, as amended in 2001, with regard to the fact of improper performance of their official duties by officials of State Migration Service of Ukraine, Members of the Commission on Citizenship under the President of Ukraine and  other high-ranking officials - during the preparation and approval of documents on the termination of citizenship of Ukraine of Andrii Artemenko.

Simultaneously “liberal-democratic” press in US (The New York Times) insinuated that he was Putin – Trump back channel.[7] As a consequence, Mr. Artemenko was interrogated by Ukrainian General Prosecutor office and became part of the Mueller investigation in the US. In June 2018 Mr. Andrii Artemenko testified under the oath to the grand jury of the Supreme court in Washington DC.[8]  

No charges were brought against Andrii Artemenko as a result of these investigations, which confirms politically motivated persecution by the Poroshenko regime and biased attacks by the US liberal-democratic media.

During the 2019 Ukrainian Presidential elections, Andrii Artemenko endorsed the candidacy of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[9]

After Zelensky's official statement about work on the reform of dual citizenship[10] and the return of Ukrainian citizenship to Mikhail Saakashvili[11] (he was illegally deprived of his citizenship in 2017 by the decree of the former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko), Andrii Artemenko sent a letter to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, requesting the restoration of his constitutional rights and the abolition of decree No. 119/2017 regarding the termination of citizenship.[12][13]

Current activities

Andrii Artemenko is currently the co-owner and Executive Chairman of Airtrans LLC that is part of the Frontier Resource Group. From the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic Airtrans LLC secured consecutive flights on SouthEast Asia – US route to bring needed PPE supplies in a timely manner.  Hundreds of tons of medical supplies were brought into the US when they were most needed.

He is also actively developing (co-owner and President, American Industrial Group Inc.) a manufacturing company in the US that provides sustainable disinfectant and other personal protective equipment in the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Since January 2019, Artemenko has been serving as Executive Chairman of Global Management Association Corporation which has been registered in the US lobbyist register, according to data of the US Department of Justice, in compliance with FARA law.

His IT company (owner and President, AlphaNet Technologies, Inc.), which previously successfully pioneered the online educational project Eduboard.com, in cooperation with ZAKA is working on implementing the blockchain based COVID-19 immunity passport project (NewNorm) - to enable people to prove their COVID-19 health status to institutions without compromising their privacy.

Family and personal life

His parents: Viktor Artemenko and Olga Artemenko, are professors.

Andrii Artemenko is married to famous Ukrainian model Oksana Kuchma. He has four children and one grandchild. In 2017, he legally changed his name to Andy Kuchma (his spouse’s last name).[14]

Andrii Artemenko lives permanently in Washington DC with his wife and children.

References
  1. "People's Deputy of Ukraine of the VIII convocation". Official portal (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  2. "Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України". w1.c1.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  3. "ГО "Солідарність правих сил" (ГО СПС)". ГО "Солідарність правих сил" (ГО СПС) (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  4. "За чи Проти 30.11.16 Андрій Артеменко".
  5. "Head of group for interparliamentary relations with Qatar Andrii Artemenko visits Qatar to meet with Minister of Energy and Industry of the country". www.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  6. "Андрей Артеменко, народный депутат, – гость ток-шоу "Люди. Hard Talk". Выпуск от 07.12.2016".
  7. Twohey, Megan; Shane, Scott (2017-02-19). "A Back-Channel Plan for Ukraine and Russia, Courtesy of Trump Associates". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  8. "Former MP Artemenko will testify in Mueller probe in June | KyivPost - Ukraine's Global Voice". KyivPost. 2018-05-18. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  9. "Артеменко: В Зеленского есть шансы. Единственное, чего у него нет - права на ошибку. 21.04".
  10. Червоненко, Віталій (2020-02-07). ""Подвійне громадянство узаконять": як Рада хоче змінити правила". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  11. "Зеленський повернув громадянство Саакашвілі. Прилетить вже завтра". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  12. "Экс-нардеп Артеменко попросил вернуть ему украинское гражданство". LIGA (in Russian). 2019-05-23. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  13. "Порошенко підписав указ про припинення громадянства України нардепа Артеменка і Боровика - Ляшко". Інтерфакс-Україна (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  14. Swan, Betsy Woodruff. "Ukrainian Giuliani ally hires ex-lawmaker to lobby Trump administration". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
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