The Ukrainian lawmaker who met in late January with President Donald Trump's personal lawyer and a prominent businessman in New York to discuss a controversial peace plan for Ukraine has been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship, according to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty.
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Report: Lawmaker who held secret 'peace plan' meeting with Trump's lawyer has been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship
The Ukrainian lawmaker who met Trump's personal lawyer and a prominent businessman to discuss a controversial peace plan for Ukraine has been stripped of his citizenship.
Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Artemenko speaks during an interview with Reuters at his office in Kiev, Ukraine, February 21, 2017.
Andrey Artemenko was expelled from Ukraine's Radical Party and has been accused of treason by Ukrainian prosecutors for meeting with Michael Cohen, Trump's lawyer, and businessman Felix Sater in New York on January 27 to discuss a plan that would allow Russia
It now appears that Artemenko has been
In a February interview with Business Insider, Artemenko insisted that he had done nothing wrong and that the treason charges lodged against him were unfounded.
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"I'm a member of parliament," Artemenko said at the time. "It's my obligation and duty according to Ukrainian law" to try to find a solution to the war.
"This is my motherland, I was born here, and I've realized that we cannot fight against Russia alone until the last Ukrainian soldier has died," he added. "And they accuse me of treason! Nonsense! I have a right to have my personal opinion in a democratic and free country."
The prosecutors also accused Artemenko of conspiring with Moscow to commit "subversive acts against Ukraine." But it is unclear what role, if any, Russia played in bolstering the plan.
The New York Times, which broke the story of Artemenko's January meeting with Cohen and Sater, said Artemenko told them he had "received encouragement for his plans from top aides to Mr. Putin." Artemenko told Business Insider, however, that he had never spoken with any Russian officials about his ideas. Russia has also denied approving of, or even having any knowledge of, the proposal.
"Greed, envy, and pride — it is their main defects," Artemenko said, referring to the Ukrainian government. He said he thought the government felt threatened by him "because I'm alone and I have my own foreign allies, contacts, and supporters."
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When asked in February if he was still trying to get his vision heard by the US, Artemenko replied that he was.
"I got thousands of phone calls and emails from people all over Ukraine supporting me!" Artemenko said. "People like my idea."
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