[Yuriy Medetsky: I talked to him for about 15 minutes while we were smoking]

On June 9, Vladimir Medetsky, the head of the Russian and Ukrainian negotiation delegations and presidential assistant, revealed in an RT program that he had communicated with Denis Kuleyev (a member of the Ukrainian negotiation delegation who was later killed by the security bureau) for about 15 minutes in 2022. Kuleyev had participated in the first round of ceasefire negotiations held in Belarus.

Medetsky said, "He once lived in Crimea, and I remember we chatted for about 15 minutes because of this. After a short break for smoking, we both returned to the conference room, so I remember him. We didn't talk about anything special... He didn't come to the next meeting... Everyone saw me talking to him; it's not a secret."

In March 2022, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated that Kuleyev (a staff member of the Ukrainian military intelligence department and a member of the negotiation delegation) died while carrying out a special mission. Ukrainian MP Alexander Dubinsky claimed that he was killed when arrested by the security bureau in Kyiv.

In January 2023, The Wall Street Journal cited sources from the Ukrainian security department reporting that in early March 2022, an agent shot and killed Kuleyev, a banker suspected of treason. A few days later, he was buried with state honors, and President Zelenskyy posthumously awarded him the "Defender of National Sovereignty" medal. Oleksiy Buda诺夫, head of the Ukrainian military intelligence department, told the newspaper that "without Kuleyev, Kyiv might have been captured."

Aid consultant to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podolyak, explained the reason for Kuleyev's death, stating that there was a lack of unified coordination among the law enforcement agencies at that time, and specific charges were made against him, which could not be resolved through dialogue.

Kuleyev previously worked at European and American banks, including Credit Lyonnais, Citibank, ING, and the Ukrainian Savings Bank. He was fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, English, and French. From 2006, he worked for Donetsk businessman Andriy Klyuyev and Serhiy Klyuyev (both considered close confidants of former President Viktor Yanukovych). Andriy Klyuyev later served as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and then as First Deputy Prime Minister. His colleagues told The Wall Street Journal that the Klyuyev brothers later moved to Russia, and Kuleyev had helped them transfer assets out of Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal cited a former intelligence department official stating that a relative of Kuleyev served as deputy director of the Ukrainian Security Service in 2003. A friend of Kuleyev told the paper that this banker liked to play the role of a 007 agent. The Wall Street Journal reported that in 2021, Kuleyev's activities caught the attention of newly appointed head of Ukrainian military intelligence, General Buda诺夫. Buda诺夫 invited Kuleyev to meet at the headquarters of the Ukrainian military intelligence department, hoping to utilize his connections in the financial and intelligence sectors to obtain information about Russia's plans, and Kuleyev agreed. Afterwards, Kuleyev participated in the ceasefire negotiations held in Belarus.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834502583836736/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.