UKRAINE: The Poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko

In 2004, Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko returned from a meeting at a restaurant and planted an evening kiss on his wife. She remarked that his "lips tasted metallic." A few days later, Yushchenko's whole body started to swell up, and he fell ill.

In this blog post, we will delve into Yushchenko's life, career, and political positioning. Who was behind this assassination attempt? Was it Russia, and how can we determine the responsible party? 

EARLY LIFE

Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko was born on February 23, 1954, in Khoruzhivka, Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, during Ukraine's time as part of the Soviet Union. His parents, Andriy Andriyovych Yushchenko and Varvara Tymofiyovna Yushchenko, both worked as teachers. His father taught English at the local school and was a veteran of the Second World War, while his mother taught physics and mathematics. Sumy Oblast, their home region, was predominantly Ukrainian-speaking, making Ukrainian Viktor's mother tongue. This linguistic background would later distinguish him from political rivals who primarily spoke Russian.

Yushchenko graduated from Ternopil Finance and Economics Institute in 1975 and began his career as an accountant. He served as deputy to the chief accountant in a kolkhoz, a collective farm system prevalent in the Soviet Union where land and resources were collectively owned and managed by the state or by worker cooperatives. Following his graduation, he fulfilled his conscription in the army within the Transcaucasian Military District, situated on the Soviet-Turkish border, for a year until 1976.

Upon completing his military service, Yushchenko returned to civilian life and entered the banking sector, which would eventually pave his path to politics. In 1983, he became the Deputy Director for Agricultural Credit at the Ukrainian Republican Office of the Soviet Union State Bank. Later, in 1990, he served as vice-chairman and first vice-chairman of JSC Agroindustrial Bank Ukraina for three years. In 1993, he was appointed as Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, a position he held for four years before being re-appointed by the Ukrainian government, the Verkhovna Rada, in 1997.

During his tenure in banking, Yushchenko played a pivotal role in establishing Ukraine's national currency, the hryvnia, and implementing modern regulatory systems for commercial banking. He successfully steered the country through a period of severe hyperinflation following the 1998 Russian financial crisis, managing to reduce inflation from 10,000% to less than 10% and safeguarding the currency's value.

In 1998, he earned his Doctorate in Economics by defending his thesis titled "The Development of Supply and Demand of Money in Ukraine" at the Ukrainian Academy of Banking.

RISING TO PRIME MINISTER OF UKRAINE

One year after earning his doctorate, Viktor Yushchenko was nominated as a candidate for Prime Minister of Ukraine by then Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma. This nomination followed the failure of the previous candidate, Valeriy Pustovoytenko, to secure ratification by just one vote.

During his tenure, the economy experienced a period of growth. However, Yushchenko's success was short-lived as his government soon found itself in conflict with influential figures in the coal mining and natural gas industries. Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was also entangled in this dispute. The confrontation culminated in a vote of no-confidence held in the Rada on April 26, 2001. The Communist Party of Ukraine, opposed to Yushchenko's economic reforms, and centrist groups with ties to Ukraine's wealthy elite, the "oligarchs," heavily influenced this vote. 

With a tally of 263 to 187, the motion passed, resulting in Yushchenko's removal from office.

Yulia Tymoshenko

PARTY LEADER TO "OUR UKRAINE"

The vote of no-confidence did not mark the end of Yushchenko's political career. One year later, he assumed leadership of the "Our Ukraine" (Nasha Ukrayina) political coalition. This coalition secured several seats in the 2002 parliamentary elections, but they were unable to form a majority coalition with other opposition parties and did not secure the majority of seats. Since then, Viktor Yushchenko has served as the honorary leader and a prominent figure for the Our Ukraine party.

In 2001, Yushchenko and his former deputy prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, initiated efforts to create a broad opposition bloc against then-President Leonid Kuchma. Their aim was to rally support from other parties to help Yushchenko win the Presidential election in 2004.

By 2002, Tymoshenko and Yushchenko had succeeded in forming their opposition alliance. Later that year, the Our Ukraine party, led by Yushchenko, and Tymoshenko announced the establishment of a bloc with Oleksandr Moroz (Socialist Party of Ukraine) and Petro Symonenko (Communist Party of Ukraine). Tymoshenko also operated under her own Yulia Tymoshenko bloc. The parties issued a joint statement in support of their shared goals, declaring the beginning of a state revolution in Ukraine. However, by the 2004 elections, the Communist party withdrew from the alliance as they did not agree to have only one single candidate participate in the Presidential elections.

Between 2001 and 2004, Yushchenko consistently ranked high in popularity polls compared to President Leonid Kuchma. However, following his 2004 election, his popularity plummeted from 52% to under 4%. He was seen as a moderate politician and a direct opponent to the incumbent president Kuchma. Other opposition parties had fewer seats in the Rada and less support.

In 2004, the Our Ukraine party and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc formally joined forces and established "The Force of the People." This coalition aimed to halt the perceived destructive processes associated with the current authorities, referring to President Kuchma and his Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. The alliance included the promise that if Yushchenko became President in 2004, he would nominate Tymoshenko as his Prime Minister.

THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Finally, 2004 arrived, marking the end of President Kuchma's term. Yushchenko formally announced his candidacy as an independent candidate, with his primary rival being then-Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. Yushchenko's support mainly stemmed from the "Power of the People" electoral coalition, known as "Syla Narodu" in Ukraine, with "Our Ukraine" serving as the primary constituent force, supported by other political allies.

Following his dismissal as prime minister, Yushchenko dedicated significant effort to modernizing his political platform, fostering social relationships, and advancing several key liberal ideals. Notably, he championed the fight against corruption within Ukraine and advocated for the country's NATO membership. His campaign relied heavily on traditional methods such as face-to-face interactions, given his limited media exposure compared to other candidates.

In contrast, Yushchenko's rival, Viktor Yanukovych, enjoyed greater television coverage and launched a smear campaign against Yushchenko. One particularly malicious accusation was the insinuation that Yushchenko's father had Nazi affiliations due to his internment in SS camps during World War II. However, this narrative was debunked by the Jewish community in Yushchenko's hometown, who confirmed that his mother had risked her life to shelter Jewish individuals during the war.

Viktor Yanukovych

WAS IT POISON OR BAD RICE?

On September 5, 2004, Viktor Yushchenko dined with the head of Ukraine's secret service and his deputy, Volodymyr Satsyuk. Yushchenko later disclosed that another attendee was Davyd Zhvania, the godfather of one of his children. Upon returning home, he kissed his wife, who remarked on his "metallic" tasting lips.

Mr Yushchenko was rushed to Vienna's Rudolfinerhaus clinic in Austria for treatment. Within days, his entire body began to swell dramatically, accompanied by severe head enlargement and widespread pain. Inflammation and pus-filled lesions appeared across his body. He was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis compounded by interstitial edematous abnormalities. Doctors suspected a viral infection or exposure to uncommon chemical substances not typically found in food.

In London, British toxicologist Professor John Henry of St Mary's Hospital attributed Yushchenko's facial abnormalities to chloracne, a condition resulting from dioxin poisoning. Dutch toxicologist Bram Brouwer confirmed the presence of chloracne and detected a dioxin level in Yushchenko's blood 6,000% higher than normal.

During his illness, Yushchenko publicly accused political opponents of poisoning him, with suspicion falling on his presidential rival, Viktor Yanukovych. While he recovered physically, his face remained disfigured, displaying jaundice and deep pockmarks.

In December 2004, Michael Zimpfer, a staff member at Rudolfinerhaus clinic, revealed that blood tests confirmed Yushchenko had ingested TCDD dioxin at levels 1,000 times higher than normal. The purity of the poison suggested laboratory production.

Yushchenko implicated the three men he dined with, but initially refrained from publicly naming suspects. Investigations revealed that the rice served during the dinner was laced with dioxin. Yushchenko accused the Russian government of orchestrating the poisoning, but Russian authorities denied involvement, attributing Yushchenko's illness to excessive wine and sushi consumption.

Volodymyr Satsyuk fled to Russia soon after the poisoning and obtained Russian citizenship. This made extradition for questioning impossible. Consequently, the case remains unsolved. Satsyuk was removed from Ukraine's wanted list when Yanukovych assumed the presidency. He returned to his hometown of Malyn in the summer of 2011.

Viktor Yushchenko after the poisoning

2005 PRESIDENCY

Despite the poisoning, Viktor Yushchenko persevered with his candidacy for the presidential election. The voting results were tight, but Yanukovych was declared the winner. This triggered mass protests by the Ukrainian populace, leading to what became known as the Orange Revolution. A second round of voting, mandated by the Supreme Court, saw Yushchenko emerge victorious. He was inaugurated on January 23, 2005, with the event attended by various Ukrainian and foreign dignitaries.

His presidential tenure was marked by a tumultuous series of appointments and dismissals of government officials. Yushchenko honored his promise by appointing Yulia Tymoshenko as Prime Minister. However, her tenure was short-lived. In September 2005, amidst resignations and allegations of corruption, Yushchenko dismissed Tymoshenko's government.

In May 2005, Yushchenko made a notable appearance on stage at the Eurovision Song Contest, which was hosted by Ukraine in Kyiv. Critics viewed his presence as undignified, accusing him of seeking political gain.

Following the conclusion of his presidency in 2010, Yushchenko launched a bid for a second term. His opponents included Tymoshenko and Viktor Yanukovych. Yushchenko publicly criticized them, alleging their disregard for Ukraine's welfare. Ultimately, Yushchenko finished fifth in the 2010 presidential race, with Yanukovych emerging victorious.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Viktor Yushchenko's poisoning serves as a stark reminder of the lengths to which certain actors will go to thwart progress and undermine sovereignty. Despite ongoing investigations and diplomatic tensions, justice remains elusive. This unfortunate saga not only echoes throughout Ukraine but also stands as a cautionary tale for the international community regarding the pernicious tactics employed by some nations.

References: 

• BBC: Viktor Yushchenko: Ukraine's ex-president on being poisoned
• USA Today: Who is Viktor Yushchenko? What you need to know about the former Ukrainian president
• BBC Profile: Viktor Yushchenko 
• New Scientist: Skin growths saved poisoned Ukrainian president
• Science Daily: Dioxin Decomposition In The Yushchenko Case: Elimination Rate Faster Than Expected
• VOA: Ukraine's President Says Former Ally May Have Poisoned Him
• RFE/RFL: Ukraine: Mystery Behind Yushchenko's Poisoning Continues