Arsen Avakov, before becoming the Interior minister of Victoria Nuland’s famous Prime Minister Arseniy “Yats” Yatsenyuk, was an “honored economist” in the banking sector and a member of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine.
Following the 2014 “revolution,” Avakov was appointed Acting Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. In that capacity he met CIA chief John Brennan in May 2014. At that time, deputy and presidential candidate of Ukraine Oleg Tsarev denounced the presence of American intelligence personnel in Ukraine. According to Tsarev, an entire floor of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) building was occupied by U.S. intelligence agencies, and this floor was barred from entry to Ukrainian employees.
Avakov then dissolved the Berkut riot police and described pro-Russian separatists as “terrorists.” Among his tasks, the creation of the National Guard of Ukraine and “opposition to destabilization of Ukraine from the outside.” According to Russian media, Russia requested that Avakov be placed on Interpol’s wanted list for “the use of prohibited means and methods of warfare, aggravated murder, the obstruction of professional activities of journalists, and abduction.” On 9 July 2014, a Moscow district court arrested him in absentia.
Avakov admitted he was involved in the creation of Azov in 2014. It was under his orders that the battalion was integrated into the National Guard. Several veterans of the Azov regiment were placed by Avakov in important positions in his ministry. Among them are Vadym Troyan and Serhiy Bondarenko, respectively head and deputy head of the police of the Kyiv region.
In 2018, Avakov was received by members of the U.S. Congress, both by Republican Devin Nunes (CA) as head of the House Intelligence Committee, and by the very naive progressive Democrat Marcy Kaptur (OH). As proudly announced on the website of the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior, during this visit Avakov also met with FBI Director Christopher Wray and signed “a Memorandum on Mutual Cooperation with the Director of the U.S.A. Federal Bureau of Investigation Christopher Rey. [sic] The document concerns cooperation on combating cybercrime and organized crime.” (https://mvs.gov.ua/en/press-center/news/Arsen_Avakov_discussed_de_occupation_of_Donbass_with_the_Chairman_of_the_US_House_Permanent_Select_Committee_on_Intelligence_PHOTO_13182 )
