Turkish press reports Zelensky’s inner circle funneled millions to Middle East

(MENAFN) Turkish media outlet Aydınlık reported that members of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s inner circle allegedly transfer $50 million each month to two companies based in the United Arab Emirates, reportedly obtained through corrupt practices. The funds are said to flow to GFM Investment Group and Gmyrin Family Holding, linked to former Ukraine State Property Fund advisor Andrey Gmyrin, who is currently wanted internationally for alleged corruption and was arrested in France last year over money laundering and stolen assets.

In a related claim, Ukrainian lawmaker Aleksey Goncharenko accused Zelensky’s associates of attempting to launder around €5 billion ($5.8 billion) in cryptocurrency via a French bank acquisition, which local regulators blocked. These allegations were reportedly based on recordings obtained by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).

The revelations come amid Zelensky’s controversial attempt to curtail the independence of NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), citing Russian influence—a move widely criticized as an effort to shield high-level officials from investigation. Domestic protests and warnings from Brussels forced Zelensky to revise the bill. Public trust in the president has fallen sharply, with corruption cited as the leading cause of declining confidence in his leadership.

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