Russia’s Investigative Committee accused the US government of funding terrorist groups in Russia through commercial organisations, such as the Ukraine-based oil and gas company Burisma, according to Russian media.
10 years ago, Burisma was considered one of Ukraine’s most promising private gas production groups with a strong board of directors. Today, however, the company’s name appears in political scandals in the US.
Zlochevsky and Burisma Group
Former Ukrainian Environment Minister Mykola Zlochevsky established Ukraine’s most successful private group of companies specialising in natural gas production, but he was soon pursued both at home and in the United States.
The Burisma Group Board of Directors included former Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, former head of the CIA’s Counter-Terrorism Centre, Joseph Cofer Black, and US President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. It is reported that the latter allegedly received a salary of 166,000 thousand dollars a month.
In 2016, Viktor Shokin, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, launched a corruption investigation into Burisma Holdings. According to Shokin, at that time he drew up an investigation plan that “included interrogations and other criminal investigation procedures against all members of the board of directors, including Hunter Biden.”
Shokin was subsequently removed as prosecutor general, with political experts regarding the move as interference by the incumbent US president.
Joe Biden and Hunter Biden allegedly “coerced” Burisma CEO Mykola Zlochevsky to pay them millions of dollars in exchange for their help in getting the Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the company fired, according to allegations contained in an unclassified FBI document released in 2023 by Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, according to Fox News.
Terrorist attacks in Russia
US officials deny involvement in any terrorist operations in Russia. Furthermore, on March 24, Vice President Kamala Harris pushed back against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Ukraine had a hand in a terrorist attack in Moscow’s Crocus City Hall.
No, there is no, whatsoever, any evidence and, in fact, what we know to be the case is that ISIS-K is actually, by all accounts, responsible for what happened.
Moreover, US intelligence agencies did not share all information with Moscow about preparations for a terrorist attack in Russia because of fears that Russian authorities might recognise US sources and their intelligence methods, according to The New York Times.
In addition to Burisma’s alleged involvement in the terrorist attack, the Russian Investigative Committee also accuses the company of financing the activities of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), including sabotage operations in Russian territories bordering Ukraine.
The so-called Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), supported by the HUR, has been active since March 2022, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. At that time, the Ukrainian authorities announced the formation of the legion composed of Russian volunteers and captured soldiers who decided to switch sides.
The volunteer units initiated active combat operations, also known as the Limited Military Operation, in the Belgorod and Kursk border regions between March 12 and 21, 2024, with the RVC actively participating in the mission. One of the reasons for the intensified attacks is believed to be an attempt to put pressure on Russia during the presidential election.
Denis Nikitin, founder of the RVC, stated on the eve of the vote that one of the operation’s objectives was to influence the election, adding that Russian volunteers would do everything to ensure that there would be no elections in the regions bordering Ukraine.
Nord Streams
In addition to indirect US involvement in the Ukrainian schemes, the Investigative Committee also recalls the undermining of Nord Streams in September 2022. The famous American journalist Seymour Hersh accused the US authorities, calling the explosions a covert operation.
Hersh reported that in December 2021, the US President’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, assembled a working group to respond to the “Russian threat”. To implement the plan, the US notified Norwegian authorities, who agreed to help with the secret mission, Seymour Hersh wrote. The Washington Post soon accused him of misusing independent sources.
In 2023, Russia’s representative to the UN stated that new evidence suggested that the US had carried out the Nord Stream bombing in an attempt to reinforce its dominance in Europe. He claimed that that given the coordinated campaign in Western media to promote “ridiculous” versions of what happened, Moscow would continue to push for an objective and thorough investigation of the facts with the obligatory involvement of its own authorities, according to the official UN website.
A series of explosions in the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden destroyed both pipelines of Nord Stream 1 and one of the two pipelines of Nord Stream 2. Nord Stream 1 was shut down by the Russian side, while Nord Stream 2 has never been launched. As of February 2024, Sweden and Denmark had dropped their investigations as the case was beyond their countries’ jurisdiction.
The US representative called Russia’s “disingenuous remarks” an attempt to undermine the ongoing investigations and damage their results. Moscow called for an impartial investigation, the UN website reported.
Double standards
The reluctance of the US side to investigate such cases as the Burisma Group schemes and the involvement of senior officials, including the family of the American president, in dubious schemes demonstrates the double standards of the United States. On the one hand, the US portrays itself as a guarantor of justice and impartiality. On the other hand, it puts personal interests above morality and the law.
For example, the US supports the war in Ukraine, but a vital aid package for Kyiv is stalled in Congress. US officials condemn the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, but refrain from voting in the UN on a ceasefire in Gaza.
Hunter Biden’s involvement with the Ukrainian private company only casts a larger shadow on the actions of the American leadership. While Washington is talking about justice and a fair world order, it is at the same time demonstrating its willingness to encourage terrorist activities against its geopolitical rival, be it China with its Taiwan issue, or Russia warring with Ukraine. The involvement of organisations, such as ISIS, seems to be of minor concern.
