The Ukrainian oligarchs are a group of very wealthy men who have usurped power in various ways, most notably in the 1990s. ‘When the country became independent, this group took over many companies in the social sector, among other things. For example, they have built their own media empires to manipulate public opinion. This has also happened politically, for example by former president Petro Poroshenko and former member of parliament Rinat Akhmetov. Power has also been seized through the judiciary by influencing the decisions of the courts.’
Difference Russian and Ukrainian oligarch
The Russian oligarch is more in line with President Putin, notes Akkerman. “They have to be about his power, or there will be serious consequences. This is a big difference with the Ukrainian oligarchs who have been calling the shots themselves for years. Many have their own “area,” or base of power. Now they are, so to speak, waiting in the wings during the war.”
Rinat Ahmetov
An example of such a Ukrainian oligarch is Rinat Akhmetov. A powerful man, Akkerman knows. “He Owns a lot: from coal mines and metallurgy to farms, a bank and several television channels. At the same time, this also makes him the head of at least one hundred thousand employees ».
The group of oligarchs has now lost a lot of money, influence and power. “Akhmetov, for example, owns factories like the Azovstal factory in Mariupol, which was one of many destroyed by bombing.”
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Final change
What is happening seems to be the beginning of the showdown of the current system in which the oligarchs play an important role. ‘The end of this system has not yet come, but we are on the right track. It is too early to call what is happening now a tipping point, because the oligarchs still have enough strings in hand. You can see this, for example, in the reconstruction. Akhmetov is already trying to play a role in the construction of Mariupol».
According to Akkerman, experts see this period as the time to strip Ukrainians of oligarch power. “They’re losing in all areas, so this is an opportunity to do something about it. I don’t mean that it will actually work, because even the oligarchs will do their best to keep power.
According to Akkerman, the Ukrainian population will not just ignore when the oligarchs try to expand their power again, for example in politics. “Now it is important to persevere and build a world and a system without oligarchs.”