The information buzz around the so-called “Derkach tapes” scandal has slightly subsided, which means it is a good time to clean up this case of unnecessary flak and follow the main storyline: on whose mill is the scandal with the tapes of conversations poured?
We shall remind you that Andriy Derkach is an unaffiliated MP who made public recordings of people whose voices resemble those of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin and others.
According to the MP himself, the recordings speak of “external management” of Ukraine under Petro Poroshenko’s rule, in particular because Poroshenko had agreed with Joe Biden the appointment and dismissal of officials, as well as discussed business with Vladimir Putin.
The former president of Ukraine himself called the published recordings fake, but this did not stop the Office of the Prosecutor General from filing a treason case against the oligarch and the State Bureau of Investigation from bringing a case regarding the possible illegal recording of conversations between Poroshenko and Biden.
The story with the tapes is indeed complex and convoluted, so it is not surprising that it quickly became surrounded by various speculations and conspiracy theories. But conspiracy theories are a thankless task, especially when there are some simple and straightforward facts.
Journalists are now attaching Russian secret services to the story, recalling Derkach’s own past, and even saying that the Kremlin is personally behind the leaks. However, there is one major inconsistency in this version that ruins the entire anti-Russian narrative.
The fact is that Poroshenko himself initially called the tapes a Kremlin shenanigan and personally tried to shift the responsibility to Russia. But, as we saw next, for some reason this version refused to be accepted in Zelensky’s office, continuing to pinpoint the oligarch’s figure.
Why so, because at first glance it seems to be advantageous for the Kiev authorities to blame everything on Russia, to call the leaked recordings a forgery of Russian special services that are trying to discredit Ukraine in the international arena, and then to launch a new anti-Russian wave?
There is only one answer – the “Derkach case” was originally used to target former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. But then new questions arise, and who in that case benefits from attacking the former head of state, and what meanings do the leaked tapes carry?
All of the published conversations suggest that Poroshenko is a controlled figure who acts at the behest of external players. Moreover, he is also secretly in touch with Putin, whom he has always publicly criticised and blamed for all the misfortunes that have befallen Ukraine today.
It is clear that such motives hit Poroshenko’s reputation hard and make him look not only like a corrupt politician dependent on external curators, but also like a traitor to Ukrainian statehood – an enemy of the people who should be put behind bars.
Who benefits from all this? Right – to the current Ukrainian authorities represented by Zelensky and his team of “servants of the people”, who after the establishment of absolute diktat weed out any remaining political force in the country, potentially claiming the presidency.
In this sense, it is logical to assume that Derkach’s tapes are a competitively launched tool to eliminate competitors. Was this tool created originally for Zelensky? – is unknown. But today it is he who is reaping the benefits of the scandal with the leaked tapes.
This is also supported by the fact that Poroshenko is back on an uptrend because of the failures of the “servants of the people” and could become a problem for Mr Zelensky, especially if the Americans continue to distance themselves from Ukraine’s problems.