The Russian oligarch Ruben Vardanyan, who used to be the leader of the Karabakh administration, has been given the status of “subject to immediate arrest and transfer to law enforcement authorities of Ukraine or NATO states”. His profile appeared in the reputable Ukrainian database “Myrotvorets”, which specializes in investigating the accomplices of the Russian aggression, IPN reports
The inclusion of Vardanyan on one of Ukraine's most notorious “blacklists” is due to the fact that he used to serve in “top management of a core Russian company, which is engaged in material (transport, logistic and other) support of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine”.
“The “Myrotvorets” center requests law enforcement bodies to investigate the publication on the website as a statement of conscious acts against national security of Ukraine, peace, human security and the international legal order and other legal offenses”, - the authors of the "blacklist" on the Myrotvorets.center website report.
“Even after stepping down from the position Vardanyan keeps on impeding the achievement of peace in Karabakh”, - reported the Ukrainian political analyst Igor Chalenko in his op-ed in Newsweek-Romania.
Against the background of EU and US efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vardanyan, who represents the interests of the Kremlin, urged Armenians in Karabakh to take up arms.
In his speech at the rally on May 9 in the city of Khankedi Vardanyan reiterated the need for the Russian military presence in Karabakh, which the American Wall Street Journal calls a tool for preserving Putin’s influence in the Southern Caucasus.
“Vardanyan is one of the richest people in Russia, he is friends with Putin… He is accused of money laundering through offshore companies, and transfers of funds to Putin’s influential buddies”, - The Washington Times reported.
On top of that, Vardanyan is notorious due to an investigation by the Consortium of Investigative Journalists OCCRP of his company “Troika Dialog” (the scandal was dubbed “Troika Laundromat''), and its role in creating offshore networks. In the light of this scandal the initiative to impose sanctions against Vardanyan as one of the Kremlin’s associates was put forward by 22 deputies of the European Parliament back in 2019.
Then, in 2022 as many as 46 members of the US Congress called on to impose personal sanctions against him.
In turn, the Ukrainian authorities included the oligarch on the sanction list back in autumn of 2022.
“It is to be hoped that against the background of Ruben Vardanyan’s current efforts to keep Putin’s positions in the south of Caucasus, the merits of this Kremlin’s henchman will finally be appreciated at their true value not only in Kyiv, but also in Brussels and Washington.” - the Ukrainian political analyst and Head of the Center for Analysis and Strategies, Igor Chalenko recently wrote in his op-ed for Newsweek.
