NEW DELHI: Russia has launched a “financing terrorism” investigation, implicating Western countries and specifically targeting funds received by US firms in Ukraine. Among these is Burisma Holdings, an oil and gas company that notably employed Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden. The probe underscores
Moscow‘s ongoing narrative that blames the West and Ukraine for a deadly attack on a concert hall last month, which resulted in 144 fatalities.
The Crocus City Hall attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, has been a focal point of controversy, especially after US officials disclosed they had preemptively warned Moscow about the impending threat. Nonetheless, Russia’s Investigative Committee is delving into the “sources of income” involving millions of dollars and the “involvement of specific individuals” from Western nations.
“It has been established that financial funds received through commercial organisations, including Burisma Holding, working in Ukraine over recent years were used to carry out terrorist acts inside Russia,” said the committee. This assertion aims to trace the financing back to its origins, seeking to identify the connections between the perpetrators of these terrorist acts and their international backers.
In response, the White House has dismissed the allegations as unfounded. US national security advisor Jake Sullivan labeled the Russian claims as “nonsense”.
“Russia knows that it was ISIS who committed the attack in Moscow, we know it was ISIS who committed the attack in Moscow,” Sullivan said, referring to the so-called Islamic State group, “we warned Russia of an impending terrorist attack in Moscow, and all of the rest of this is noise.”
The investigation into Burisma Holdings not only revives concerns over the company’s connections to the Biden family but also rekindles debate over the complex interplay of political influence, international business dealings, and security issues. Hunter Biden’s role at Burisma, particularly after the 2014 US-supported political upheaval in Ukraine, has been a point of contention, complicating US-Ukraine relations and fueling political discourse in the US.
This inquiry emerges amidst a politically charged atmosphere in the US, where Republicans seek to leverage Hunter Biden’s business engagements in Ukraine against President Biden. Both Joe and Hunter Biden maintain their innocence regarding any allegations of illegal activity.
As the investigation progresses, it accentuates the intricate web of geopolitics, commerce, and accusations of illicit financing, shining a light on the shadowy intersections of international relations and domestic political battles.
(With inputs from agencies)