Andy Victor Kuchma (, born 14 January 1969, Kyiv), before emigrating to the United States of America, served as a Ukrainian politician and businessman, the People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 8th convocation of Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament), and chairman of the "Solidarity of Right Forces" - Ukrainian political party.
Education Artemenko was born in Kyiv on January 14, 1969.ПУЛЯЕВ, ПЕТР (20 February 2017). Дети - граждане США и жена-модель: Все, что известно о радикале Артеменко. "ВЕСТИ" (vesti.ua) website. Retrieved 19 June 2021.Genshtab staff Артеменко, Андрей Викторович. Генштабъ website. Retrieved 19 June 2021. In 1976, he attended Kyiv school No.43. Later, attended school No. 178. It was in school that he showed an interest in history, geography and military training. He paid special attention to geopolitics and various forms of government. Later, together with other famous graduates, he provided welfare assistance to school No. 178. In particular, he arranged governmental funding for the completion of a second building.
In 1986, Andrii Artemenko entered Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Department of Electric Power Engineering, where he specialized in energy engineering. From 1987 to 1989, he was conscripted into the Soviet Army as a motorized rifleman and served in various military units throughout the Soviet Union. In May 1989, he was transferred to the Armed Forces reserves of the USSR. After returning to Kyiv, he continued his studies at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, at the Computer Science Department, and got a master's degree in systems engineering in 1993.Еще один «болезненный компромисс». Что известно о депутате Андрее Артеменко и его плане по Крыму. bykvu.com website. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
He worked in various jobs in Belgium during the early 1990s.
Start of business activities In 1993–1994, Andrii Artemenko founded and operated "Krista" (), an export and import operation with raw materials for the light industry.
From 1994 to 1996, he was chairman of the board of CJSC "New Lines" ().
In 1994, he visited the United States for the first time and during this trip attended training courses on "International Sports Law", which prompted him in 1996 to establish a law firm in Ukraine "First Legal Club". This entity was the first such organization in the post-soviet territory, which served most successful sportsmen from the former Soviet Union and provided legal, consulting and management support, as well as their employment abroad.
From 1996 to 1999, he was president of the law firm "First Legal Club", which represented the majority of the athletes former USSR gaining them employment abroad.
Andrii Artemenko served as Head of Committee on Status of Football players in Football Federation of Ukraine.
During same period, Artemenko also has started selling broadcasting rights to the world's leading sports competitions to Ukrainian central TV channels - such as: UEFA Champions League, World and European football Cups, Boxing world tournaments and others.
In 1996, he founded Ukrainian Trade Union of professional football players, which is now a member of FIFPRO (part of FIFA since 1998).
Replacing Viktor Topolov in 1999, Andrii Artemenko became the President of the government enterprise of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine football club CSKA Kyiv (later changed to FC Arsenal Kyiv) and held the position until 2000.
Political career In 1998, he met the public politician, head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Oleksandr Omelchenko. That same year, he took part in election campaign of Omelchenko who was elected the Mayor of Kyiv. Together they founded a political party called "Unity".
In 2000, he was appointed adviser for the Mayor of Kyiv Omelchenko. Artemenko left this office in 2004.
In 2001, during a campaign to discredit Omelchenko, Artemenko became a subject of attention by the General Prosecutor's Office because of his close connection to the Mayor. The General Prosecutor's Office questioned him repeatedly. In spring 2002, in an attempt to increase the pressure on Omelchenko, Artemenko was arrested. "It was done deliberately. I was held in different remand prisons (SIZO), sometimes in the same cell with persons sick with pulmonary TB. I was ordered by the heads of security agencies to sign a statement saying that Olexander Omelchenko illegally transferred money from accounts of Kyiv City State Administration to his political project to a construction project of his son's facilities. Coercion to give false testimony was unacceptable, so I stayed true to my positions and did not perjured," Artemenko said. On October 22, 2004, Artemenko was released on bail of some MPs. Although all charges against Artemenko were subsequently dropped in 2007 by Kyiv prosecutor Renat Kuzmin () and the courts of Ukraine confirmed the illegitimacy of the claims, he had spent 2 years 7 months and 21 days in prison.
During the Orange Revolution (2004), he met Yulia Tymoshenko. Later, on a request of Yulia Tymoshenko, he became one of the leaders of her election campaign headquarters, where he succeeded in gaining many constituencies.
In 2006, he was elected as a deputy of the Kyiv City Council and led the faction of Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. He was also a Deputy Head of Committee for ecological questions of Kyiv City Council. Artemenko participated in the development and implementation of many environmental and infrastructural programs successfully executed and still operating today.
Career in the defense industry
Since 2005 Artemenko founded a number of companies specialized in air transport and military logistics supporting special operations in "hot spots". From 2008 to 2012, his main activities were logistical support of Ukraine and NATO forces in North Africa and the Middle East: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Afghanistan and other countries of the region.
In 2012, he participated in the implementation of a major innovative project in Qatar, which is associated with induced effects on the environment in order to increase the humidity and precipitation. "This was a military technology, developed by military engineers. I was personally engaged in the installation of this technology in Qatar," he stated.
In November 2012, with his personal assistance, the Embassy of Ukraine was opened in the State of Qatar and the State of Qatar embassy was opened accordingly in Ukraine.
Parliamentary activities
Artemenko defines himself as a neoconservative. He held strong positions concerning urgent changes in the state. Therefore, he responded to the invitation of the leader of the Radical Party, Oleh Lyashko, and agreed to be on the list for early parliamentary elections in October 2014.
Artemenko realized Ukraine needed an ideological party. He studied the performance and experience of various political systems, taking as an example the activities of political organizations like the US Republican Party and the UK Conservative Party. Together with other like-minded individuals and following his beliefs, he founded a political party called "Solidarity of Right Forces" in November 2014. It was all done in contrast to the numerous artificial election projects. The "Solidarity of Right Forces" party set a goal to participate in all upcoming elections: local, parliamentary, and presidential.
Before the Maidan uprising beginning in November 2013 against pro-Russia, pro-Kremlin, pro-Putin policies of Viktor Yanukovych and the Party of Regions, which were supported by Paul Manafort and Rudy Giuliani, Artemenko was in the post-Party of Regions block established by Manafort who, according to sources, was receiving payments from pro-Russia, pro-Kremlin, pro-Putin sources. He was the Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on issues of European integration, Subcommittees on Cooperation of Ukraine and NATO and EU Common Security and Defense Policy. Furthermore, he is a member of the subcommittee on economic and sectoral cooperation and a free trade zone between Ukraine and the EU. Andrii Artemenko is actively pursuing his point of view on the non-aligned status of Ukraine and good neighborly, friendly, and mutually beneficial cooperative relations with neighboring countries. On 16 November 2016, he stated that he is not a supporter of Ukraine joining any supranational structure, union, or organization.
Andrii Artemenko headed the Inter-Parliamentary Group of Friendship with Qatar, which included 23 MPs. Besides, he is a co-chair of Parliamentary Friendship Group with Slovenia.
On December 25, 2014, the establishment of the inter-factional deputy group "Solidarity of Right Forces" was announced in the Parliament. Andrii Artemenko initiated the formation of the party and eventually headed it. The members of Parliament are working together on the draft bills to solve middle class problems in Ukraine. In particular, it creates a favorable legal environment for business, private property protection, and fair trial.
Andrii Artemenko authored 37 bills, of which 17 were voted into law. Some of representative bills are: number 1601 "On Amendments to the administrative-territorial system of Luhansk region, changing and setting boundaries of Popasnjansky and Slavyanoserbsk districts of Luhansk region", number 1310 "On Amendments to Article 41 of the Law of Ukraine" On Joint Stock Companies" (with respect to the quorum of the general meetings of joint stock companies with majority state corporate rights), the bill number 1736 "On the appeal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the European Parliament, the Parliament of the Council of Europe and the national parliaments of the EU Member States, the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia on the issue of the mass shooting of people near Volnovakha", the Resolution number 2066 "On holding parliamentary hearings entitled: "Perspectives of introducing a visa-free regime for the citizens of Ukraine by the European Union" (May 21–22, 2015).
One of the more popular bills initiated by Artemenko was on the legalization of dual citizenship No. 6139 - which currently enjoys the support of the incumbent President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
During his tenure as a Member of Parliament, Artemenko criticized Poroshenko's regime and uncovered facts of internal and international corruption.
In July 2013, Paul Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik flew on Artemenko's plane to Frankfurt.
Artemenko claimed that President Petro Poroshenko had misappropriated funds and Artemenko claimed he received evidence about Poroshenko from Valentyn Nalyvaichenko.
Artemenko did not take part in the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election.
Pro-Trump position
According to one of his posts on his Facebook page, Andrii Artemenko was introduced to Michael Cohen and others by the Ukrainian oligarch Alex Oronov.Roberts, Rachel (6 March 2017). Ukrainian businessman with links to Donald Trump and Russia dies in unexplained circumstances: Alex Oronov, who had family ties to President's lawyer, reportedly organised meeting aimed at helping give Russian President control of Crimea. The Independent. Retrieved 19 June 2021.Leopold, Jason; McDaniel, Chris; Cormier, Anthony (March 6, 2017).A Suspicious Death In Trump's Orbit? "Total Bullshit," Says Family: Despite extraordinary claims by a pro-Kremlin lawmaker — and a close connection to the president’s personal attorney — Alex Oronov died after a long illness, says his son-in-law. BuzzFeed website. Retrieved 19 June 2021.UNIAN staff (6 March 2017). В США внезапно умер соавтор "плана Артеменко" по Крыму. UNIAN website. Retrieved 19 June 2021.Zbruc staff (7 March 2017). Помер комунікатор "плану Артеменка". Zbruč (zbruc.eu) website. Retrieved 19 June 2021.