Kozhara Leonid Oleksandrovych

Yanukovych's "Peacemaker" Minister

Leonid Kozhara (born January 14, 1963, Poltava) is a diplomat and statesman, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2012–2014), chairman of the OSCE and GUAM. A typical career of a Yanukovych system figure: People's Deputy of the 6th convocation from the Party of Regions, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Deputy Leader of the Party of Regions on international policy issues.

Lavrov, Rostov, and the Association Agreement Disruption

The Foreign Ministries of Ukraine and Russia, headed by Ministers Kozhara and Lavrov, met in Rostov-on-Don, held a dinner, and a meeting of the subcommittee on international cooperation. Lavrov warned Kozhara that the Customs Union was preparing to raise tariffs on Ukrainian goods if Ukraine signed the Association Agreement with the EU. Kozhara himself publicly promoted the idea of a "single economic space between the EU and the Customs Union," asserting that Ukraine is a "Slavic, predominantly Orthodox country, which brings us closer to Russia." It was this "soft" rhetoric behind which the real disruption of European integration was masked.

The Murder in Chaiky

On February 22, 2020, the body of Serhiy Starytskyi — a former board member of the Inter TV channel — was found in Kozhara's house in the village of Chaiky near Kyiv. Initially, the version of suicide was considered, which was soon reclassified as intentional homicide. On March 25, Kozhara was detained on suspicion of committing the crime. According to the investigation's version, Kozhara struck Starytskyi in the back of the head with a pistol, then shot him in the head, after which he staged a suicide. As of early 2025, the court has still not issued a verdict — hearings are constantly disrupted.