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U.S. Designates Ukrainian Oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, Billionaire Behind Zelensky, Over Corruption Allegations

Ihor Kolomoisky is considered to be Ukraine’s most powerful figure outside of government.

The United States has officially sanctioned one of Ukraine’s richest men for corruption—a man whose name was repeatedly mentioned throughout the first impeachment saga of former President Donald Trump. Ihor Kolomoisky is considered to be Ukraine’s most powerful figure outside of government and he was a key patron in the rise of President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a statement released Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote: “I am announcing the public designation of oligarch and former Ukrainian public official Ihor Kolomoisky due to his involvement in significant corruption.” The designation relates to Kolomoisky’s alleged corrupt practices when he was governor of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast region in 2015, but Blinken said he was also concerned about Kolomoisky’s “current and ongoing efforts” to “undermine Ukraine’s democratic processes and institutions.” The State Department said the designation extends to Kolomoisky’s family, meaning that they are all now ineligible to enter the United States.