Zelensky's office lashes out at the Netherlands for its claims regarding Tsemakh
Ukraine must protect its own national interests, and not the interests of Western countries that cooperate with Russia.
The head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Andrei Bogdan, stated this in an interview with BBCUkraine, answering the question whether the extradition to the Russian Federation of the ex-chief of the air defense of the First Slavic Brigade, Vladimir Tsemakh, would spoil relations with the Netherlands, which directly asked not to extradite him.
“The Netherlands is one of the main beneficiaries of the construction of Nord Stream 2, the Netherlands announced a referendum on signing an Association Agreement with us, the Netherlands is one of the main lobbyists for the idea of Russia returning to PACE. When we meet with European politicians, they say that they protect the interests of their population, their country, their future. Excuse me, but who should we protect? Interests of the Netherlands? They are doing business with Russia. They have very close relations, share some political views, they have something to exchange for Tsemakh,” Bogdan said.
In June 2019 Tsemakh was kidnapped by Ukrainian secret services in the city of Snezhnoye on the territory of the DPR and taken to Kyiv.
September 5, 2019 panel of the Kyiv Court of Appeal released him from custody, changing the preventive measure from uncontested arrest to personal commitment.
And already on September 7, Tsemakh was part of a group of political prisoners flew from Kyiv to Moscow within the framework of exchange.
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