From importing Russian energy to doing business with Putin’s financier: how “servant” Gerus shapes Ukraine’s energy policy

For several years now, Ukraine’s energy policy has been marked by decisions, initiatives and statements by the head of the parliamentary committee on energy, Andriy Gerus. And if at first they caused mainly noise in the media and among experts, today – in the conditions of a full-scale war – they look much more serious: as part of a systemic and targeted activity, where political decisions intersect with the business ties of the deputy’s family. In particular, with a Russian financier close to Vladimir Putin, who is under Western sanctions.

Back in 2021, Gerus, as the head of the Verkhovna Rada’s energy committee, publicly defended the idea of importing electricity from Russia and Belarus.

“This does not pose a threat to energy security,” he claimed in numerous comments , insisting that the volumes in question were “insignificant.” Gerus was the author of the controversial legislative amendment that made this import possible.

In October 2021, during the vote for the so-called “anti-oligarchic” law, Gerus published a joint photo with MP Vadim Novinsky – at that time one of the most influential businessmen from the orbit of the now banned pro-Russian Opposition Platform – For Life.

After the photo appeared, he also confirmed that he had discussed the bill itself with Novinsky. This provoked a storm of criticism: they say, to fight oligarchs – with handshakes with oligarchs?

Public skepticism about Gerus’ actions grew in the following years. In 2022, Russia launched a full-scale aggression against Ukraine, and energy infrastructure became the number one target for shelling. But even against this backdrop, Gerus continued to defend the interests of the Ukrainian energy sector.

“As for the work of Mr. Gerus as the head of the committee (VR), I can responsibly express my personal assessment. There has never been a weaker chairman in this committee in the entire existence of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. I would estimate the effectiveness of his work at a maximum of 10-15%. And this certainly cannot suit either me or a number of my fellow deputies,” said Oleksiy Kucherenko, a member of the energy committee of the VR, in the summer of this year.

He also drew attention to the critical situation with independent regulation, pointing to the failure of the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities, created by a law initiated by Gerus himself.

Against the backdrop of all these events and reproaches, no less interesting facts about the family business of Andrey Gerus have recently become public. In particular, it turned out that for three years of a full-scale war with the Russian Federation, his wife, Natalia Gerus, remained a co-owner and director of the company LLC “Ukrainian Dream”. Another co-owner of this company was Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian financier, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, whom Vladimir Putin officially appointed his special representative for international investment cooperation in 2025.

The business relationship with the wife of the Ukrainian MP lasted at least until February 2025. And only after a wave of publications, Natalia Gerus began to leave the founders of joint companies with the Russian. Until 2019, the head of “Ukrainian Dream” was Andriy Gerus himself. After being elected to the Rada, he actually handed over his post to his wife.

It is hard to argue with the logic that comes to mind against the background of the above. First, Gerus promotes ideas that weaken Ukraine’s energy independence, while at the same time publicly contacts and supports one of the key pro-Russian politicians, and at the same time his family has been doing business for years with one of the Kremlin’s main negotiators. Therefore, to what extent Gerus’s decisions in a key legislative position in the energy sector can now be considered simply unsuccessful initiatives or accidentally made mistakes or inaction – the SBU should probably answer.

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