Two of Ukraine's top oligarchs took on somewhat unusual roles last week, grabbing headlines and receiving praise.
Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine’s richest man with a large portfolio of businesses, and Dmytro Firtash, the gas and chemicals tycoon, both hosted events that allowed them to shine in a new light. Akhmetov spoke about the need for transparent rules of the game at an investment forum in Donetsk, while Firtash became a new patron of arts as he organized a series of events under the umbrella of Ukrainian Days in London.
Both men, whose collective fortunes run well over $16 billion, according to Forbes, often find themselves at the center of criticism in Ukraine over alleged insider business deals, controversial privatizations and murky past business activities.
But on Oct. 17, when Akhmetov gave a keynote address to the investor congress in Donetsk, the man called for new rules of the game in Ukraine to make the life of business and investors more comfortable.
“What do we need so that the investor comes to our country sooner than to other countries? Rules. Equal rules of the game for all,” he said.
“We don’t want the investor to get an impression that he will come here in a suit, and leave in shorts. He will then not come to us, and tell the others about it,” Akhmetov continued.
He went on to say that investment is a two-way street, where both the investor and the country gain. The investor, he said, gets the opportunity to make money and the country gets new technology, new jobs and production. “This is when everyone wins: the whole of Ukraine and every Ukrainian.”
Akhmetov, however, has been known to break rules himself. He was elected a parliament deputy in the previous convocation, but only showed up in parliament several times over five years, according to Chesno, a civic campaign that monitors performance of parliament deputies.
His personal card, however, was used by fellow Party of Regions faction members to support laws, contrary to the Constitution and Ukraine’s legislation, which clearly state that parliament members must vote in person. Akhmetov’s card was photographed by Vlad Sodel, the photographer of Kommersant daily, as it was used by others.
Akhmetov’s speech on the rules left many observers skeptical. Yevhen Shybalov, the columnist for authoritative weekly Zerkalo Nedeli in Donetsk, in his op-ed on Oct. 19 said that basically Akhmetov’s speech shows that he does not like existing rules that allow new rich and powerful oligarchs to emerge.
“It should be understood that Akhmetov says that other (his own) rules of the game are needed,” he wrote.
Shybalov said that the only way for Akhmetov to insure his fortune is to support the European integration. He also added that other oligarchs, including Victor Pinchuk, Kostyantyn Hryhorishyn, Igor Kolomoiskiy and Oleksandrt Yaroslavskiy, have come out with similar statements.
Firtash, whose businesses are tightly connected with Russia, also chose a platform in the West to show his good side by donating $2.5 million for construction of the monument to Holodomor, Ukraine’s artificially induced famine of 1932-1933, in Washington, D.C.
Most recently, on Oct. 17-19, Firtash also hosted a number of events under the umbrella of Days in Ukraine in London.
They kicked off with Firtash’s ceremonial opening of trade at the London Stock Exchange on Oct. 17.
“We understand how important it is that we start Ukraine Days in Britain at the London Stock Exchange,” his charity foundation’s website quoted him as saying at the opening. “London is the financial capital of Europe, it’s a huge investment potential for our country. We, Ukraine, are little known and the main task is to show the potential of the nation.”
Previously, Firtash grabbed very different kinds of headlines in London. In 2011, the High Court dismissed Firtash’s libel lawsuit against the Kyiv Post for a story that reported accusations of corruption and conflicts of interest in Ukraine’s gas trade. At the time, Judge John Leslie said it was “almost an abuse of the process.”
The dismissal of the case in London, dubbed as the world’s leading the libel tourism destination, was hailed by the international media as a victory in the name of press freedom.
But this time, Firtash left a very different set of impressions as he mingled with the crowd at the gala reception in the prestigious Saatchi gallery.
“The hangout was very democratic: people from the street could come in and drink cocktails alongside Firtash and (Hollywood star) Olga Kurylenko,” said Maryna Denysenko, a Ukrainian who lives in London and works as a conference director for Adam Smith Conferences.
She said that Ukrainian TV crews complained about some restrictions, but generally the Ukraine-themed events were good, varied and interesting, showcasing the nation’s art, fashion, literature and folk traditions.
