Revealing the power behind Trump's pressure on Ukraine

But information recently revealed by the US press shows that, besides President Donald Trump, his allies in the US energy industry are also actively participating in putting pressure on Ukraine.

The missionary

While Democratic lawmakers led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are actively pushing for an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, there are rumors that Energy Secretary Rick Perry will resign next November.

President Donald Trump is being investigated for pressuring Ukrainian President Zelensky. Photo: Getty

US Department of Energy spokeswoman Shaylyn Haynes also hinted that “one day the media reports will become true.” Mr. Rick Perry is a rare senior official in Donald Trump’s administration who has not been investigated with ethics investigations.

But this time, there are too many details to support speculation that he had a role in President Donald Trump's efforts to pressure Ukrainian President Zelensky, and it is likely that he will not be able to avoid being dragged into the impeachment investigation initiated by the US House of Representatives.

There is reason to question the role of Rick Perry in President Donald Trump’s relationship with Ukraine. Last May, Perry attended Zelensky’s inauguration as President along with a US delegation representing the government.

It would not be a big deal if it were a normal diplomatic ritual. The problem is that, during this trip, he had a private meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky, in which he mentioned replacing members of the Supervisory Board of Naftogaz - the largest gas company and a key player in the Ukrainian energy industry.

Information from those present at this meeting shows that Mr. Perry proposed replacing the US representative, Amos Hochstein - a diplomat who served in the Barack Obama administration - with a prestigious figure of the Republican Party.

At the second meeting of the trip with Ukrainian officials, Mr. Rick Perry also proposed a list of members of the Naftogaz Supervisory Board, most notably Robert Bleyzer, a Ukrainian-American.

It is widely understood that the Naftogaz Supervisory Council plays a very important role and must be selected by the Ukrainian Cabinet in consultation with international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, the United States and the European Union. Mr. Perry explained that the proposal to replace the members of this Council is not for the benefit of any individual, but for the purpose of modernizing the Ukrainian energy sector, creating an environment that encourages Western companies to do business in this country.

US Energy Secretary Rick Perry is considered the “architect” of US policy towards Ukraine. Photo: The Politico

Another notable detail related to the goal of promoting the modernization of Ukraine's energy sector that Mr. Rick Perry mentioned is that he attended a bilateral meeting with President Zelensky and President Trump in New York on September 25, in which he conveyed to the Ukrainian President the message "to carry out anti-corruption efforts" - referring to the investigation of US Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

The investigation may stem from Hunter Biden's five-year stint on the board of an energy company in Ukraine, while Joe Biden was the Obama administration's top Ukraine negotiator.

A series of reports about Mr. Rick Perry's activities in meetings with President Zelensky have fueled the argument that he was the one carrying out the mission of conveying the Donald Trump administration's messages to Ukraine's energy sector, of which the request to investigate Vice President Joe Biden was just a small piece.

“Trump card” Naftogaz

US Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s interest in promoting the modernization of Ukraine’s energy sector is understandable, as he is the “chief architect” of the new US energy policy, which removes domestic regulations on energy production to promote gas and oil exports to allies and trading partners.

He also promoted the agreement signed between the US, Poland and Ukraine to increase gas supplies to Ukraine via Poland, reducing dependence on Russian fuel.

The opportunity to pull Ukraine out of Russia's "arms" in terms of energy is even clearer when the agreement between Russia and Ukraine on gas transit to Europe will end at the end of 2019 and the two countries have not yet been able to reach a decision to extend the agreement.

The new agreement with Poland and the United States, starting from 2021, will allow the US to supply Ukraine with 6 billion cubic meters of liquefied gas compared to the current level of 1.5 billion cubic meters. To implement this national energy strategy, Naftogaz is certainly an “ace card” that cannot be ignored.

Naftogaz - the target of US energy companies. Photo: Euro Activ

But analysts say that Mr. Rick Perry is not the only individual trying to influence Naftogaz, but there is also a group of American businesses in the energy sector also participating in this process.

Yesterday, the US press simultaneously published information about energy companies - considered allies of Mr. Donald Trump - since last spring had pressured Ukrainian officials to investigate Mr. Joe Biden as Mr. Trump's most formidable political opponent in the 2020 White House race.

However, these figures have encountered difficulties when the former President of Ukraine could not overcome his opponent Volodymyr Zelensky. Analysts explain that the push to establish “centipedes” in Naftogaz was to direct valuable gas export contracts to these companies.

Democrats are still pushing ahead with an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. It remains to be seen whether the investigation will be able to reveal any credible and substantial evidence of Rick Perry’s ties to a group of American companies trying to gain influence in Ukraine’s energy sector.

However, these developments are gradually sketching a picture hidden behind the public battles in US politics, where businesses in the US energy industry are pursuing economic interests that go far beyond the personal political interests of President Donald Trump.