Zelensky’s former adviser claims cash flow audit is a move to force Kiev to make peace with Russia

Ukraine’s allies want to know what money is flowing in and out of the invaded country, including cryptocurrencies, according to a prominent former adviser to the presidential administration in Kiev.

The financial investigation is said to be part of a push by the West to end the bitter conflict in the Eastern European nation, which has recently intensified its attacks on Russia and has also increased pressure on Ukraine.

Ukraine’s partners investigate funds to put pressure on Kiev

Western countries have commissioned an audit of funds sent to and withdrawn from Ukraine, Oleksiy Arestovich, a former adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said on social media.

In a post on his Telegram channel on Saturday, he pointed out that the investigation concerns the transfer of illicit funds, particularly those made in virtual currencies.

Commenting on the highlighted news, Arestovich claimed:

“This is the first serious step by Western partners in the fight against corruption in Ukraine. A large-scale audit has been launched by people with extensive experience and competence in identifying corrupt funds.”

He suggested the move was part of renewed pressure on Ukraine. Ukraine has yet to reach an agreement with Russia to end a brutal war that has been going on mainly within its territory for more than three years.

Alestovich also reminded that Russia is already under a “double ultimatum – sanctions are imposed on the Russian Federation, and Western countries threaten to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons and lift the ban on attacks deep within the country.”

He was referring to new U.S. and European sanctions against Russia imposed earlier this week by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, frustrated by a lack of real efforts on the part of Moscow toward peace, and by the European Union, which approved the 19th round of sanctions, including measures against Russian crypto platforms.

In an excerpt of a conversation with Russian independent journalist and podcaster Yulia Latynina attached to the Telegram post, the Ukrainian politician also revealed that the investigation was ordered by the British government.

London has hired a “very serious” auditing firm to check all crypto transfers to and from Ukraine, he elaborated. Although he did not provide details, he also said:

“This is already serious. It looks like a financial investigation into a conspiracy in the Ukrainian authorities… This is the first serious news about a corruption audit in Ukraine by the West.”

“This sounds like pressure on both sides,” Alestovic added, recalling President Trump’s recent comments that the two warring countries must each make concessions.

Alestovich was right in front of him.

Oleksiy Alestovich is known for predicting a Russian invasion quite accurately in 2019. In late 2020, the former military intelligence officer was appointed as advisor for strategic communication in the field of national security and defense to the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Andriy Yermak.

He was instrumental in mobilizing Ukrainian society to thwart Ukraine’s initial confidence in Russian forces in early 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor after years of intervention in support of pro-Russian forces across the border.

At the time, he had a large following in Ukraine and the Russian-speaking part of the internet by holding daily briefings on the battlefield and beyond and appearing on YouTube podcasts to discuss the latest developments.

In August 2022, Alestovich announced his intention to run for president of Ukraine. He subsequently lost support for Zelensky’s government, particularly after comments suggesting that in early 2023, a Russian missile hit a residential building in the city of Dnipro after being deflected by Ukrainian air defenses.

Amid strong reactions to his explanation, he apologized and resigned in mid-January 2023, but remained active in public online spaces, raising criticism of Zelensky’s government and calling for presidential elections to be held despite the ongoing war.

Alestovich left Ukraine after receiving a call from authorities in Kiev asking for his arrest while his name is on a list of suspected terrorists and extremists, accused of being a Russian spy. He is currently believed to primarily reside in the United States.