Arseniy Petrovych Yatsenyuk (born 22 May 1974) is a Ukrainian politician, economist and lawyer who served two terms as

Prime Minister of Ukraine The prime minister of Ukraine (, , ) is the head of government of Ukraine. The prime minister presides over the government of Ukraine, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the government of Ukrain ...

– from 27 February 2014 to 27 November 2014 and from 27 November 2014 to 14 April 2016.Arseniy Yatsenyuk
/ref> He was the youngest foreign affairs minister in Ukraine's history. Arseniy Yatsenyuk holds a diplomatic rank of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador. Yatsenyuk's first government post was as Minister of Economy from 2005 to 2006; subsequently he was Foreign Minister of Ukraine in 2007 and

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine () is the presiding officer of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russi ...

(parliament) from 2007 to 2008. Yatsenyuk was one of the leaders of Ukraine's second largest party All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland",After the parliamentary elections in Ukraine: a tough victory for the Party of Regions
, Centre for Eastern Studies (7 November 2012) and former leader of its parliamentary faction.Ukraine's united opposition discussing formation of single party
'' Kyiv Post'' (7 December 2012)Sobolev: Front for Change and Reform and Order Party to join Batkivschyna

Interfax-Ukraine Interfax-Ukraine () is a Ukrainian news agency. Founded in 1992, the company publishes in Ukrainian, Russian, English and German. The company owns a 50-seat press centre. The staff of the agency is 105 people (as of the end of February 2022) ...

(11 June 2013)
Front for Change, Reforms and Order to dissolve for merger with Batkivshchyna - Sobolev
,

Ukrinform The National News Agency of Ukraine (), or Ukrinform (), is a state information and news agency, and international broadcaster of Ukraine. It was founded in 1918 during the Ukrainian War of Independence Sobolev heads "Batkivshchyna" in the Rada
Televiziyna Sluzhba Novyn (20 March 2014) He became the

prime minister of Ukraine The prime minister of Ukraine (, , ) is the head of government of Ukraine. The prime minister presides over the government of Ukraine, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the government of Ukrain ...

following the 2014 revolution that removed Viktor Yanukovych from power. In September 2014, Yatsenyuk started the new party People's Front. On 16 February 2016, the

President of Ukraine The president of Ukraine (, ) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. ...

Petro Poroshenko Petro Oleksiiovych Poroshenko (born 26 September 1965) is a Ukraine, Ukrainian politician and Oligarchy, oligarch who served as the fifth president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Ukraine), Minister ...

, asked Yatsenyuk to resign saying he had lost the support of the coalition and the same day, the Ukrainian parliament voted the cabinet's work unsatisfactory but rejected a call for a vote of no confidence. On 10 April 2016, Yatsenyuk announced that he would report to parliament on 12 April and resign as prime minister. On 14 April 2016, Yatsenyuk was replaced by new prime minister Volodymyr Groysman. Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum and the founder of Open Ukraine Foundation. He holds the

diplomatic rank Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, Seating plan, t ...

of extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador.

Early life

Yatsenyuk was born on 22 May 1974, in the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

Chernivtsi Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also #Names, other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivt ...

. His father, historian Petro Ivanovich Yatsenyuk, was a professor at the Faculty of History at Chernivtsi National University and has since become deputy dean of its history faculty. Arseniy's mother, Maria Grigoriievna Yatsenyuk (née Bakaj), has long been a French teacher at area high schools and in the French Department of Foreign Languages at Chernivtsi University. Yatsenyuk speaks Ukrainian, Russian and English, and has some knowledge of Romanian as well.

Ancestry

According to Yatsenyuk, he comes from a family of ethnic

Ukrainians Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...

, and is a member of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. He is of partly Romanian ancestry; one of his ancestors was a citizen of

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

from the region around

. Some sources state he was born to a family of ethnic Romanian-Jewish-Ukrainians.Famous Jews of Ukraine
�наменитые евреи Украины by Professor Shimon Dubnov, Rudolf Yakovlevich Mirsky, and Alexander Yakovlevich Naiman, pub 2009, p18-19 However, Yaakov Bleich, a chief rabbi of Ukraine stated, "Arseniy Yatsenyuk is not Jewish." Furthermore, Anna Rudnitskaya said, " atsenyuk'shypothetical Jewishness was never established."

Education

After Yatsenyuk began studying at Chernivtsi University in 1992, he set up a student

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise consumer, clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and Obligation, respon ...

. Yatsenyuk graduated from the university in 1996, and later attended the Chernivtsi Trade-Economics Institute of the Kyiv National Trade-Economics Institute in 2001. In addition to holding a law degree and a master's degree in accounting and auditing, Yatsenyuk also earned a Ph.D. in economics from the Ukrainian Academy of Banking of the National Bank of Ukraine.

Legal and banking careers

From December 1992 to September 1997, Yatsenyuk was the president of Yurek Ltd., a law firm based in

. From January 1998 until September 2001, Yatsenyuk worked in the

Aval ''Aval'' ( in Tamil) may refer to these Indian films: * Aval (1967 film), ''Aval'' (1967 film) * Aval (1972 film), ''Aval'' (1972 film) * Aval (2017 film), ''Aval'' (2017 film) See also

* Aval (TV series), ''Aval'' (TV series), a 2011 Indian ...

bank, based in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

. From November 2003 to February 2005, Yatsenyuk served as the first vice-president of the National Bank of Ukraine under Serhiy Tihipko. After Tihipko left the National Bank, Arseniy Yatsenyuk was put in charge of it.

Political career

From September until November 2001, Yatsenyuk served as an acting Minister of Economy of

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

, and from November of the same year until January 2003, served as the official Minister of Economy of Crimea. After Vasyl Tsushko was appointed as the new Governor of

Odesa Oblast Odesa Oblast (), also referred to as Odeshchyna (Одещина), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, located along the northern coast of the Black Sea. Its administrative centre is the city of Ode ...

, Tsushko asked Yatsenyuk to serve as his vice-governor, which he served from 9 March to September 2005.

Minister of the Economy (September 2005 – August 2006)

From 27 September 2005 to 4 August 2006, he served as the Minister of Economy of Ukraine in the Yekhanurov Government. Yatsenyuk then headed talks about Ukrainian membership in the

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...

. For example he signed the ''U.S. – Ukraine WTO Bilateral Market Access Agreement'', a precursor agreement that paved the way to the full accession of Ukraine on 16 May 2008. From 20 September 2006, he served as the first vice-president of the Head of Secretariat of the President of Ukraine, and the representative of the president in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Foreign Minister of Ukraine (2007)

Yatsenyuk was proposed for the post of Foreign Minister by the

, Viktor Yushchenko. Yatsenyuk was confirmed by the

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada ( ; VR), officially the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is the unicameralism, unicameral parliament of Ukraine. It consists of 450 Deputy (legislator), deputies presided over by a speaker. The Verkhovna Rada meets in the Verkhovn ...

(parliament) on 21 March 2007 with 426 votes (from 450 maximum). In his April 2007 remarks made to the

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) is a nonpartisan international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations in Europe, South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the United States. Foun ...

he commented that the Ukrainian transition to a

market economy A market economy is an economic system in which the decisions regarding investment, production, and distribution to the consumers are guided by the price signals created by the forces of supply and demand. The major characteristic of a mark ...

was a success. In July 2007 while he was still Foreign Minister, Yatsenuk started the Open Ukraine Foundation, which he intended to become an international foundation for the "strengthening and development of Ukraine's reputation in the world."

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (December 2007 – November 2008)

In the early parliamentary elections held on 30 September 2007, Yatsenyuk was elected to the parliament from

Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc The Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc (, Russian language, Russian: Блок Наша Украина – Народная Самооборона, ''Blok Nasha Ukraina – Narodnaya Samooborona,'' NUNS; until 2007 named Our Ukraine Bloc) w ...

(number 3 in the bloc's member list). On 3 December 2007, he was nominated for the position of the

from the democratic coalition formed from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc. On 4 December 2007, Yatsenyuk was elected the chairman of the Parliament. His candidacy was the only one in the ballot, and he obtained 227 votes in favor (from the democratic coalition; opposition abstained from the voting). In early 2008, Yatsenyuk co-wrote along with Tymoshenko and Yushchenko the so-called "letter of three" to NATO, in which they asked for a Membership Action Plan with a view to joining the Alliance. At the beginning of 2008 the work of the Rada was blocked for two months due, according to at least one observer, to this letter. During the Ukrainian political crises of September 2008 Yatsenyuk offered his resignation on 17 September 2008. A vote on his dismissal on 11 November 2008, was declared invalid by the counting commission of the Parliament (the vote was proposed by opposition party

Party of Regions A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

). On 12 November 2008, a total of 233 of 226 required deputies satisfied the resignation statement of Yatsenyuk and thus dismissed him from his post of Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada. The voting was carried out through the parliaments voting system and not by means of secret ballots, as stipulated by the parliamentary regulations. After his dismissal Yatsenyuk told journalists that he will form a new political force "for change in the country." On 21 November 2008, Yatsenyuk was also dismissed by President Viktor Yushchenko from the National Security and Defense Council.

2010 presidential campaign

On 16 December 2008, Yatsenyuk announced plans to create a political party on basis of the '' Front of Changes'' public initiative. In an interview with Den on 4 February 2009, he claimed to have no allies among the contemporary politicians. Polls held in the last months of 2008 suggested a political party led by Yatsenyuk would pass the 3 percent election threshold in a Ukrainian parliamentary election. On 5 April 2009, Yatsenyuk announced his candidacy for

in the next presidential election. During the election, campaign fellow candidate Serhiy Ratushniak repeatedly insulted Yatsenyuk because of his alleged Jewish roots. Among other things, Ratushniak called Yatsenyuk an "impudent little Jew" who was "successfully serving the thieves who are in power in Ukraine and is using criminal money to plough ahead towards Ukraine's presidency."Anti-Semitic Ukraine mayor to run for president
''

The Jerusalem Post ''The Jerusalem Post'' is an English language, English-language Israeli broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1932 during the Mandate for Palestine, British Mandate of Mandatory Palestine, Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''Th ...

'' (November 17, 2009) Yatsenyuk's presidential campaign was estimated to cost about $60–$70 million. When Yatsenyuk billboards first appeared around Ukraine at the end of June 2009, Yatsenyuk was depicted as a military-style leader, while his previous image was that of a "young liberal". Some analysts think that this did not help the campaign.Paid advisers descend on candidates, nation
'' Kyiv Post'' (November 19, 2009) On 13 January 2010, Yatsenyuk stated that his election campaign had cost ₴80 million and that "The number of my advertising posters is ten times less than that of all of my political opponents"; Yatsenyuk claimed that funds from his election budget were mainly spent on his appearances on television. After the elections, Yatsenyuk wanted to dissolve the

because, in his view, it would prevent him from working. He also stated in November 2009 that the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and the

were "almost a single whole".Yatsenyuk proposes referendum on switch to open-list elections to parliament
,

(November 23, 2009) In late November 2009, he stated he was not interested in "using his votes as bargaining material" for a high political post. On 21 February 2010, President Yanukovych offered three candidates for

: Serhiy Tihipko, Yatsenyuk and

lawmaker Mykola Azarov.Yanukovych has yet to secure ruling majority in parliament
'' Kyiv Post'' (February 25, 2010) However, Yatsenyuk declined this proposal to hold a high post in the new cabinet after the

Ukrainian parliament The Verkhovna Rada ( ; VR), officially the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is the unicameral parliament of Ukraine. It consists of 450 deputies presided over by a speaker. The Verkhovna Rada meets in the Verkhovna Rada building in Ukraine's capi ...

adopted an amendment on 9 March 2010, which enabled independent lawmakers to take part in forming a majority coalition, instead of only parliamentary factions; Yatsenyuk disapproved of this amendment. Instead he called for early parliamentary elections: "Unconstitutional attempts by parliamentarians to form a coalition and a government would deepen the political crisis and the crisis of statehood as such".Yatsenyuk proposes early parliamentary elections
'' Kyiv Post'' (March 8, 2010) To be premier in a coalition with

communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...

was unacceptable for Yatsenyuk. Yatsenyuk formed an oppositional government in March 2010, next to another oppositional government headed by Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko, opposing the Azarov Government. In April 2010, Yatsenyuk was officially chosen as party leader of Front for Change; by that time the public initiative had become a political party also.

Parliament faction leader

During the October 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Yatsenyuk competed on a party list based on the party All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland". Yatsenyuk stressed in April 2012 "Front of Changes existed and will exist" but also hinted the same month the alliance could lay basis for one single party."ФРОНТ ЗМІН" ІДЕ В РАДУ З "БАТЬКІВЩИНОЮ"
Ukrayinska Pravda (7 April 2012)
Yatsenyuk wants to meet with Tymoshenko to discuss reunion of opposition
Kyiv Post (7 April 2012) The party competed on one single party under "umbrella" party "Fatherland", together with several other parties, during the October 2012 parliamentary elections. During the election, this list won 62 seats (25.55% of the votes) under the proportional party-list system and another 39 by winning 39 simple-majority constituencies; a total of 101 seats in Parliament. Yatsenyuk headed this election list because "Fatherland"-leader Yulia Tymoshenko was imprisoned.Список депутатів нової Верховної Ради
Ukrayinska Pravda (11 November 2012) Yatsenyuk was elected leader of the parliamentary faction of "Fatherland" on 12 December 2012.Five factions, including Communist Party, registered in parliament
'' Kyiv Post'' (12 December 2012) On 15 June 2013, his Front for Change (party) merged into "Fatherland". Opposition leaders by the Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday

Opposition leaders by the Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday

On 25 January 2014, Yatsenyuk was offered the post of prime minister by President Viktor Yanukovych but refused due to unmet demands. Yatsenyuk said the people should be making a decision for the future of Ukraine, not the present government officials.

Prime minister

First term (February–August 2014)

Yatsenyuk was designated as the new prime minister of the Yatsenyuk Government following the 2014 Ukrainian revolution that removed former president Viktor Yanukovych from power. The new government was sworn in on 27 February 2014. After his appointment, Yatsenyuk started to distance himself and his government from

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, which accepted

as an integral part of the Russian Federation after a disputed referendum there in response to the insurrection on Maidan Square and the ouster of Yanukovych. He described his government as being on a "kamikaze" mission. On 21 March 2014, Ukraine signed the political part of the Association Agreement with European Union with the economical part of the treaty to be signed after the presidential election in May 2014. The day before, Yatsenyuk was replaced (due to his new position) as his party's faction leader in parliament by Sergei Sobolev. On 24 July 2014, Yatsenyuk announced that he was resigning from the post of prime minister immediately. Earlier that day the coalition supporting his Yatsenyuk Government had collapsed,Rada speaker announces dissolution of parliamentary coalition

(24 July 2014) after parliament failed to pass legislation to increase military financing and regulate energy matters. Yatsenyuk had told parliament "History will not forgive us ... how are we to pay wages, how are we tomorrow morning going to send fuel for armoured vehicles, how will we pay those families who have lost soldiers, to look after the army?" During his announcement of resignation in parliament Yatsenyuk hinted that the coalition had collapsed because politicians did not want to be seen involved in making budget cuts and had thus placed "political interest above the fate of the country"; according to him this was "a moral and an ethical crime". However, his resignation had yet to be officially accepted by

parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

and they did not do this the day after his resignation.Yatsenyuk's statement of resignation sent to parliament - Hroisman

(25 July 2014) Instead MPs decided that their next meeting will be on 31 July 2014. On 25 July 2014, the remainder of Cabinet had appointed Deputy Prime Minister for Regional Policy – Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Volodymyr Hroisman as acting prime minister. On 31 July 2014, the Verkhovna Rada declined his resignation because only 16 (of the 450) MPs voted for his resignation. In September 2014, Yatsenyuk started the new party People's Front.Yatsenyuk became a leader of the "People's Front" political council, while Turchynov is a head of its headquarters
Ukrayinska Pravda. 10 September 2014
Ukrainian PM, Parliament Speaker to Head Newly Formed Popular Front Party
,

RIA Novosti RIA Novosti (), sometimes referred to as RIAN () or RIA (), is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency. On 9 December 2013, by a decree of Vladimir Putin, it was liquidated and its assets and workforce were transferred to the newly created ...

(10 September 2014) The party won 82 seats in the August

2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election Fourteen or 14 may refer to: * 14 (number), the natural number following 13 and preceding 15 * one of the years 14 BC, AD 14, 1914, 2014 Music * 14th (band), a British electronic music duo * ''14'' (David Garrett album), 2013 *''14'', an un ...

Second term (August 2014 – April 2016)

Yatsenyuk was confirmed as prime minister at the first session of the new parliament by 341 votes. In July 2015 Yatsenyuk announced with Canadian prime minister Steven Harper the successful conclusion of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement. February 2016 saw the start of Yatsenyuk's downfall as the Prime Minister of Ukraine after economy minister Aivaras Abromavičius announced his resignation claiming the government did not have a real commitment to fight

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

. On 16 February 2016, President

asked Yatsenyuk to resign and later on the same day, the Ukrainian parliament voted to find the work the Ukrainian cabinet was doing under Yatsenyuk unsatisfactory, but rejected calls for a vote of no confidence. On 17 and 18 February 2016, Fatherland and Self Reliance left the coalition supporting Yatsenyuk's government, meaning the coalition became 5 deputies short of the 226 needed.Samopomich pulls out from ruling coalition in parliamen

(18 February 2016)
"Self" comes from the coalition
Ukrayinska Pravda (18 February 2016)Batkivschyna faction pulls out of coalition

UNIAN The Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News () is a Kyiv-based Ukraine, Ukrainian news agency. It produces and provides political, business and financial information, and a photo reporting service. As of October 2022, it was the most v ...

(17 February 2016)
Batkivshchyna faction leaves ruling coalition
Kyiv Post (17 February 2016) On 10 April 2016, Yatsenyuk announced that he would report to parliament on 12 April and resign as prime minister.Ukrainian PM Yatsenyuk resigns

(10 April 2016)
Ukraine Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk to resign

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

(10 April 2016) But parliament did not hold a vote on his resignation that day because (Yatsenyuk's party) People's Front and Petro Poroshenko Bloc could not agree on the forming of a new government.Ukraine: Lawmakers end session without new PM vote

(12 April 2016) On 14 April 2016, parliament did hold a vote on his resignation resulting in Yatsenyuk being replaced by the new prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman, and his Groysman government. Yatsenyuk's party’s People's Front remains in the coalition because (according to Yatsenyuk) "today it is the only way to defend the state".

Post-premiership

On 2 December 2016 Oleksandr Onyshchenko, former Ukrainian MP, told ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' that he had organized and funded a smear campaign against Yatsenyuk and his government (in Onyshchenko’s own words, with “$30 million” of unclear origin). According to Onyshchenko, then-President Poroshenko has initiated this anti-Yatsenyuk defamation campaign, and benefited from it politically. In August 2017, Yatsenyuk acquired 30% of Goldberry LLC, the owner of Espreso TV. In December 2017, Yatsenyuk sold his share of the Espresso TV channel to an American company. In 2020, using the Index for Monitoring Reforms, compared the performance of the last four Ukrainian Cabinets. VoxUkraine claimed that Yatsenyuk’s second government had made the most progress in governmental reforms, including anti-corruption ones, as laws on a number of anti-corruption bodies were adopted at that time. During the Prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Yatsenyuk called Russia the "biggest threat" and criticized Zelenskyy's handling of the crisis. On the July 2022 signing of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Yatsenyuk told ''

Times Radio Times Radio is a British digital radio station owned by News UK, part of the Murdoch family, Murdoch media empire. It is jointly operated by News Broadcasting (which News UK acquired in 2016, when it was known as ''Wireless Group''), ''The Tim ...

'' that "I don't trust any kind of deal signed with the Russian Federation, we had dozens of different deals, and they always violate them." And within hours after Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's signature on the UN-brokered deal to resume Ukraine’s Black Sea grain exports, a missile had hit the Port of Odesa. In his August 2022 ''

'' interview Yatsenyuk alleged that the

Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...

intended to use the winter weather against Ukraine. At the time, Russia controlled almost half of the Ukrainian energy supply when the Russian seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was added to their control of the Naftogaz supply.

Political positions

In 2009 Yatsenyuk made clear that he does not want Russian to become the second state language in Ukraine. As early as 2012 Yatsenyuk wanted European Union membership for Ukraine.Yatsenyuk:Prosecution of Tymoshenko, Lutsenko hinders Ukraine-EU integration
'' Kyiv Post'' (4 December 2012) and he sees this "because this means standards and values – a ighlevel of education, medical treatment, pensions, employment, freedoms, new technologies, and progress". Yatsenyuk stated late 2009 that in its relations with the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

, Ukraine should have a visa-free regime with EU countries. Yatsenyuk stated on 20 April 2012 that it was clear to him that the European Union will not sign the association agreement "until fully fledged democracy is resumed in Ukraine, free and fair elections are held, and the political persecution of opponents is stopped in Ukraine". YatsenyukCabMinBlockage 02

In 2012 Yatsenyuk registered that he disfavoured Ukraine joining the

Eurasian Customs Union The Customs Union of the Eurasian Economic Union () or EAEU Customs Union () is a customs union of 5 post-Soviet states consisting of all the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia) wh ...

; according to him "Ukraine's joining the Customs Union means the restoration of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in a slightly different form and with a different name. But this means that the country will become a part of the

Russian empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. We know

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

. We have been there and we don't want to return there". On 21 August 2013, Yatsenyuk stated "

has decided for some reason that it can be the architect of a new

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...

. And, according to Russia’s design, this wall should appear at the border between Ukraine and the European Union". In November 2009 Yatsenyuk favoured the creation of a special "vice prime minister for

n issues". In April 2010 Yatsenyuk called for the Kharkiv Pact for the lease of the naval base in Sebastopol not to be endorsed by parliament. It was signed in April 2010 by then-president Viktor Yanukovych. The Russian lease on naval facilities in Crimea would be extended beyond 2017 by 25 years with an additional five-year renewal option (to 2042–47) in exchange for a multiyear discounted contract to provide Ukraine with Russian natural gas.Deal Struck on Gas, Black Sea Fleet
, '' Moscow Times'' (April 21, 2010)Yatsenyuk calls on president not to submit Russian naval base deal to parliament for ratification
'' Kyiv Post'' (April 22, 2010)Agreement on Black Sea Fleet may be denounced, says Yatsenyuk
'' Kyiv Post'' (April 27, 2010) In November 2009, Yatsenyuk stated that Ukraine's shadow economy "is a part of the current political system in Ukraine and that's why taking business out of the shadows will only be possible via a change in this system". In November 2009 he said that his most difficult task if elected President would be "to break the political clan system that has been built up over the last 18 years". Yatsenyuk wants to create a common energy company with

countries and Russia. Arseniy Yatsenyuk awarding wounded volunteers

According to Yatsenyuk in 2010, it would be impossible to fight corruption without changing the country's system of government, "The system of government in Ukraine has in fact remained the same as it was under the

".Yatsenyuk sees no prospects for reforming Ukraine without fight against corruption
'' Kyiv Post'' (April 19, 2010) In late July 2010, Yatsenyuk wrote a draft law which proposed to fine officials for violating the law "On Appeals by Citizens", thus holding officials personally accountable for ignoring the complaints of citizens.Yatsenyuk: Officials should be held personally accountable for ignoring the complaints of citizens
'' Kyiv Post'' (July 30, 2010) In November 2009, he proposed that a referendum be held on if Ukraine should have an open list voting system. Yatsenyuk is in favour of holding referendums; he calls this "nationalization of state power".If elected president, Yatsenyuk promises to transfer power to the people
'' Kyiv Post'' (December 4, 2009) The amendment of the terms and conditions of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence in Ukraine and a decision on Ukraine's membership of NATO and other military alliances are according to Yatsenyuk only possible through a referendum. Bill_Clinton_and_Arseniy_Yatsenyuk

In January 2015, Yatsenyuk appeared on the German television channel ARD for an interview with Pinar Atalay. The interview's live translation contained a controversial statement that was immediately picked up by Russian media and later spread to other media outlets. The statement typically featured was a variation of "All of us still clearly remember the Soviet Union invading Ukraine and Germany. And nobody has the right to rewrite the results of the Second World War. And that is exactly what Russia’s President Putin is trying to do." Implying that Yatsenyuk said that it was the USSR who started the war against Germany and not the other way around, this later turned out to be a misrepresentation meant to further the Russian political objectives in Ukraine. The actual statement by Yatsenyuk was "Russian aggression against Ukraine is an encroachment on the world order. We all remember well the Soviet invasion both in Ukraine, including, and in Germany. It must be avoided. Nobody is allowed to rewrite the results of the Second World War." Referring the post World War 2 soviet occupation of both Ukraine and East Germany and attempting to draw the parallels between the actions done by Soviets during that period to the present Russian aggression. This was clarified by Ukrainian officials and Yatsenyuk himself. Yatsenyuk had stated that convicted politicians Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuriy Lutsenko should be released from jail and he had proposed/written laws to make this happen. He also believed their convictions were a "difficult obstacle on Ukraine's path to the European Union." In early December 2012, he stated that he was ready to open a dialogue with the authorities only after Tymoshenko and Lutsenko were released. In April 2016 Yatsenyuk stated that full transparent privatization of state property is needed, with the exception of strategic companies. In his address to the citizens Yatsenyuk also stood for the appointment of independent executives of all public companies and exposure to deprivation of all political forces. In April 2016 Yatsenyuk stated that a “strict policy towards any aggressor country which in this case means the Russian Federation” is needed. “No deals and compromise at the expense of Ukraine. The restoration of the territorial integrity of the Ukrainian State. The return of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea. And the extension of sanctions against the Russian Federation until Ukraine has completely restored its territorial sovereignty,” – he said.

Family

Yatsenyuk's wife is Tereza Viktorivna (b. 1970); they have two daughters named Khrystyna and Sofiya. Tereza Yatsenyuk was born into a family of philosophers. Her father, Viktor Illarionovych Gur, was a professor of philosophy at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute; her mother Svitlana Mykytivna, PhD, was retired. Yatsenyuk's family has lived near Kyiv (the village of Novi Petrivtsi, Vyshhorod Raion) since 2003. Yatsenyuk’s sister Alina Petrivna Steel passed away in August 14, 2024, in the city of Santa Barbara,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

United States at the age of 56.

Open Ukraine and Kyiv Security Forum

Arseniy Yatsenuk heads the Open Ukraine Foundation, an international foundation based in Ukraine. It was established in July 2007 for the "strengthening and development of Ukraine's reputation in the world." Open Ukraine works with the young generation of artists, scholars and community leaders who seek to implement social changes in the different regions. The Kyiv Security Forum was established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation in 2007. The forum is an annual event that acts as a platform for high-level discussion on relevant matters of national security as well as security in the Black Sea region, Europe and globally. The annual Kyiv Security Forum has become a leading regional platform for discussion that creates an opportunity for the exchange of views on global security in an atmosphere of open and informal dialogue. The Forum brings together representatives of governments and independent experts, representatives of regional and global organizations, influential intellectuals, politicians, academics and journalists. As of April 2014 Open Ukraine was partnered with the NATO Information and Documentation Centre, the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...

, the National Endowment for Democracy, the German Marshall Fund and

Chatham House The Royal Institute of International Affairs, also known as Chatham House, is a British think tank based in London, England. Its stated mission is "to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world". It ...

, among other organizations. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression on 24 February 2022, Open Ukraine Foundation has been providing assistance to the Ukrainian army and people in the regions most affected by the war. More than ₴30 million in aid has already been provided. On 1 December 2022, the Open Ukraine Foundation held the annual international Kyiv Security Forum in the Ukraine’s capital. Among the forum’s participants were the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam; the United States Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland; President of the European Council in 2014-19 Donald Tusk, the Ambassadors of G7 countries to Ukraine.

Controversies

Support by United States government

Arseniy Yatsenyuk was described positively by Victoria Nuland. On 4 February 2014, a recording of a phone call between her and U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt was published on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

, showing the United States government supporting President Yanukovych’s offer to make Yatsenyuk

Russian criminal charges

On 28 April 2017, Russia’s National Bureau of

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...

requested that Yatsenyuk be put on the international wanted list relating to his alleged involvement in attacks on Russian servicemen in 1994-1995, and in 2000 Russia’s North Caucasian republic of

Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...

, that a Yessentuki city court had previously (on 21 February 2017) issued an in-absentia international warrant for his arrest alleging his violation of three articles of the Criminal Code of Russia; namely that he participated in an armed group, including intentional murder. Yatsenyuk called the charges a "total absurdity", with Ukrainian government's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov admitting (on 29 April 2017) that Interpol sent him a copy of the Russian request (he claimed was "politically motivated") and Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko stating that he believes Interpol will dismiss Russia's request. On 3 May 2017 Interpol officially dismissed Russian request such as not conforming with Article 3 of Interpol constitution. The story of Yatsenyuk's alleged involvement in the Chechnya War has been widely ridiculed in Ukraine and became a subject of

internet meme An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...

Awards

Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise 1st 2nd and 3rd Class of Ukraine

Cavalier of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise Fifth Class – awarded on 7 February 2008 ''for significant personal contribution to the integration of Ukraine into the

'' * Medal "For the Glory of Chernivtsi" (2008) * Cavalier of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise Fourth class. Awarded on June 19, 2017 for significant personal contribution to the implementation of Ukraine's European integration programs, the introduction of a visa-free regime by the EU, strengthening the international authority of the state.УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №165/2017
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Notes

References

External links

Arseniy Yatsenyuk - Official website
* * * , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Yatsenyuk, Arseniy 1974 births Sixth convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada Seventh convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada Eighth convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada Batkivshchyna politicians Candidates in the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election Chairmen of the Verkhovna Rada Chernivtsi University alumni Economy ministers of Ukraine Ministers of foreign affairs of Ukraine Front for Change (Ukraine) politicians Independent politicians in Ukraine Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics alumni Living people Members of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Politicians from Chernivtsi People of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation People of the Euromaidan People's Front (Ukraine) politicians Prime ministers of Ukraine Pro-Ukrainian people of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine Recipients of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 5th class 21st-century Ukrainian economists 20th-century Ukrainian lawyers Ukrainian people of Romanian descent Recipients of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 4th class