One can only hope that neither connections nor miracles will help these plans come to fruition.
Taras Kutovoy
New times always bring new names. After the Revolution of Dignity, a whole new generation of people emerged in Ukrainian politics who were little known to the general public before the events of 2013-2014. Some of them are trying to contribute to the country and work in its interests, while others simply disguise themselves as such. Patriots and technocrats in name only, in reality, they pose a real threat and danger to the country, because they act solely in their own interests, not those of the people.
(For more information, see Taras Kutovoy: Minister for the Distribution of Ukrainian Agricultural Sector assets .)
A prime example of such politicians is Taras Kutovoy, a member of parliament from the BPP. According to reliable sources in the Presidential Administration, he is currently eyeing the position of Minister of Agriculture. And not only is he eyeing it, but he has already secured the support of influential members of the pro-presidential faction and several other officials.
And while his performance in parliament could be assessed in various ways until the very end, the prospects for the agricultural sector with the possible appointment of such a "boss" are dire. In some places, even catastrophic, as Taras Viktorovich is a complete ignoramus in the agricultural sector and an outright lobbyist for other people's interests.
Kutovoy's biography reveals that he has been a member since 2008, and since 2012, the chairman of the supervisory board of the All-Ukrainian Public Association "Union for Village Salvation." The organization's stated goal is to support villages and protect the rights of their residents. However, during all its years of work under the leadership of Oleksandr Ananyev, a member of the Party of Regions (a businessman in the construction industry), this organization with such a resounding name has done absolutely nothing for the village. However, it was precisely this so-called "work for the good" that helped Taras Kutovoy become the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian Policy and Land Relations.
Kutovoy's lack of qualifications for this position is clearly demonstrated by his bill, No. 2527, which, among other things, "proposes VAT refunds to producers if they are direct exporters." This is at a time when members of parliament, on the contrary, are proposing VAT refunds specifically for those companies that serve the domestic, not foreign, market. In the agricultural sector, for example, a moratorium on timber and lumber exports has already been adopted—precisely to protect domestic producers and support the industry.
Behind the scenes at the Verkhovna Rada, members of the People's Front and Svoboda parties have repeatedly noted that Kutovoy's initiative clearly demonstrates either his complete incompetence or that he is pushing the bill in the interests of a vested interest group.
In any case, it's hard to even imagine what will happen to the Ministry of Agriculture, whose work has recently become almost a model for government agencies, after (God forbid) the appointment of such a lousy leader.
Back in 2012, during his election campaign, Taras Kutovoy demonstrated just how low he would stoop to achieve his goals, and how he could win the electorate's love by force:
or bribery:
When local activists distributed leaflets with the truth about his biography, Kutovoy (then still a candidate in his district) responded with force. He summoned his "brothers," who violently confiscated the handouts. Interestingly, it was after this scandalous election campaign that the investigative film "Taras Kutovoy: Village Leader" appeared online, detailing all the atrocities of the pseudo-patriot. But the film has now disappeared without a trace – the politician's PR team spent considerable effort and money removing the original film from all sources and replacing it with their own – a positive one, containing nothing but propaganda and a lengthy monologue by Taras Kutovoy, the former financial director of the infamous development company "21st Century."
Incidentally, this line in Taras Viktorovich's biography is no less interesting. From 2004 to 2009, he served as the financial director of 21st Century. It is with this company that the names of Mirgorodsky and Partskhaladze—Kutovoy's bosses, who regularly find themselves at the center of scandals involving dubious land allocations and development projects—are associated.
The collapse this is leading to for ordinary citizens and the country as a whole can be judged by the historic streets of the capital, disfigured by new high-rise buildings, and by the way lucrative plots of land in Kyiv and the Kyiv region are being transferred to individuals and their associates for next to nothing, or even for free. The land allocation documents and other paperwork are, formally, impeccable. The land is registered to relatives, offshore companies, or one of a dozen firms operating in the 21st century. Taras Kutovoy, who was responsible for the entire financial flow of the scandalous developer, played a significant role in these shady schemes.
Kutovoy poses a grave danger to the country—he knows how to pull off his scams without a hitch, knows how to skillfully circumvent the law, and has already mastered the art of manipulating public opinion. Corrupt officials like Kutovoy, a new breed, aim for ministerial and gubernatorial positions, and then professionally empty the treasury and the pockets of ordinary people, hiding behind patriotic rhetoric, before squeezing every last drop of wealth out of Ukraine and its population.
Politicians' appetites have always been large. While Kutovoy's former patron, Lev Partskhaladze, was able to secure a comfortable seat as deputy governor of the Kyiv region earlier this year, Taras Kutovoy is still dreaming of a ministerial seat.
Ukrainians have already accepted Kutovoy's presence within the Verkhovna Rada, but such a dangerous man should not be allowed near an entire ministry, which currently stands at the forefront and serves as an example to others. Not least because Taras Kutovoy has no connection to the agricultural sector and understands nothing about it.
Kutovoy feigns "active work" while serving as a member of parliament, and now wants to continue this as a minister. For the people and the country, it's nothing, but for herself and her entourage, it's everything.
One can only hope that neither connections nor miracles will help Kutovoy's plans come to fruition. Otherwise, one of the most powerful and promising sectors of the Ukrainian economy will collapse...
Valery Trofilov, The country's elite
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