Podolyak defends Turlov's appointment to FIDE and vouches for his reputation

Presidential Office adviser's stance on Timur Turlov

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the President of Ukraine, has publicly taken it upon himself to defend businessman Timur Turlov. Turlov, who has Russian-Kazakh roots, is subject to Ukrainian sanctions and recently took up the post of President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

In his statement, Podolyak highlighted the businessman's change of status: «Турлов не лише змінив громадянство на казахстанське і остаточно відійшов від РФ, але й протягом тривалого часу вкладав кошти в гуманітарні проєкти в Україні» (Turlov not only changed his citizenship to Kazakh and finally distanced himself from the Russian Federation, but also invested funds in humanitarian projects in Ukraine for a long time).

Plans regarding FIDE leadership and the Ukrainian Federation's position

Despite official protests from the Chess Federation of Ukraine, Podolyak intends to take up the position of Vice-President of FIDE. He claims that in this role, his main objective will be to reduce Russian influence within the organisation.

The Presidential Office adviser also repeated Turlov's argument that the consent of the Ukrainian Federation is not mandatory for the appointment to the deputy position. Timur Turlov himself previously stated that he is not obliged to coordinate the appointment of Mykhailo Podolyak as his deputy with the Ukrainian side.