Key Yanukovych figure to lead Ukrainian television network

Andriy Portnov, the
former deputy head of the Presidential Administration of Viktor Yanukovych,
announced on Aug. 29 that he signed an agreement to administer Ukraine’s
NewsOne television channel for three years. He closed the contract with the
station’s owner, Volodymyr Murayev, the father of Yevgeny Murayev, who is the
head of political council of the For Life party. Portnov will fully control the
channel’s administration and information policies, Murayev confirmed the same
day, adding that their worldviews are identical.

Recall, the For Life
party invited to join its ranks in July Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, a
close confidante to Russian President Putin who accepted the offer. Medvedchuk
also has influence over another popular television network, 112 Ukraine, reported
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty this month. Its newly appointed general
producer ran for office with a political party linked to Medvedchuk, whose
political platforms include Ukraine’s federalization, as advocated by the
Kremlin.

Zenon Zawada: So much for Poroshenko’s goals of
combating the Kremlin’s manipulations and election interference, as he had
declared at an Aug. 28 meeting with foreign diplomats. Rather than being
restricted in its ability to communicate with Ukrainian voters, the Kremlin now
has indirect control over two influential Ukrainian television channels through
Medvedchuk’s enhanced presence in Ukraine’s television media market heading
into the March 2019 presidential elections. And Ukraine’s election laws will
protect their activity to a large extent, so long as Ukrainian citizens are
involved and they don’t call for illegal activities.

Yet we believe
Poroshenko does not view this Russian-oriented opposition as his main opponent,
particularly since it serves as a challenger that can be conquered given that
the majority of Ukrainians are Western-oriented. Indeed, many business and
political alliances intersect between the entourages of Poroshenko and the
traditionally Russian-aligned forces, led by Rinat Akhmetov and Yuriy Boyko.

Poroshenko’s
greatest threat is from populist Yulia Tymoshenko, who is leading in the polls
and positions herself as pro-Western. She also has a history of pursuing the
assets of Ukraine’s established oligarchs. In order to undermine her candidacy,
this establishment (led by Poroshenko and Akhemtov) has already begun portraying
Tymoshenko in the mass media as the Kremlin’s greater threat in Ukraine (partly
owing to her past ties to both Medvedchuk and Portnov, ironically). 

So while Poroshenko might be officially claiming to seeking to restrict
pro-Russian propaganda, we believe he will not hesitate to align with these
forces – and use their media resources – to defeat the longtime enemy of the
Ukrainian oligarchy, Yulia Tymoshenko. It’s a dangerous game in a time of war
and a demoralized electorate that is vulnerable to propaganda.