Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s campaign chairman, has been linked to Ukrainian and Russian officials. Reports allege that Manafort is trying to collect millions of dollars he is owed from an oligarch-backed Ukrainian political party.
Manafort associates are concerned over his protégé Konstantin Kilimnik. Kilimnik reportedly discussed the money Manafort is owned by a political party called Opposition Bloc. The protégé has used his ties in Russia and the Ukraine in an effort to collect the millions of dollars owed to Manafort.
Manafort met Kilimnik in 2005 when he started working for Manafort. The current Trump campaign chair represented Rinat Akhmetov, a Ukrainian oligarch, which led to an eventual contract with Viktor Yanukovych, who went on to become president of the Ukraine.
Yanukovych fled the country to Russia in 2014.
Kilimnik and Manafort worked to promote Opposition Bloc, a party formed by a group of oligarchs that backed Yanukovych.
Kilimnik continues to advise the party despite payments to Manafort coming to a halt. The relationship of Russia and the Ukraine has become a major issue in the race. Trump’s actions during his campaign are under fire. The billionaire removed a proposal to provide defensive weapons to Ukraine to defend itself from a potential Russian invasion.
The Republican candidate has called for Russia to hack into Hillary Clinton’s emails.
