Mykola Azarov
Mykola Yanovych Azarov (Ukrainian: Мико́ла Я́нович Аза́ров; Russian: Никола́й Я́нович Аза́ров, romanized: Nikolay Yanovich Azarov; né Pakhlo, Cyrillic: Пахло; born 17 December 1947) is a Ukrainian politician who was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 11 March 2010 to 27 January 2014. He was the First Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister from 2002 to 2005 and again from 2006 to 2007. Azarov also served ex officio as an acting prime minister in the First Yanukovych Government when Viktor Yanukovych ran for president at first and then upon the resignation of his government.
Mykola Azarov | |
|---|---|
| Мико́ла Аза́ров Никола́й Аза́ров | |
Azarov in 2012 | |
| 14th Prime Minister of Ukraine | |
| In office 11 March 2010 – 28 January 2014 | |
| President | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Deputy | Andriy Klyuyev (2010–12) Valeriy Khoroshkovskyi (2012) Serhiy Arbuzov (2012–14) |
| Preceded by | Oleksandr Turchynov (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Serhiy Arbuzov (acting) |
| In office 5 January 2005 – 24 January 2005 Acting | |
| President | Leonid Kuchma |
| Preceded by | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Succeeded by | Yulia Tymoshenko |
| In office 7 December 2004 – 28 December 2004 Acting | |
| President | Leonid Kuchma |
| Preceded by | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine | |
| In office 4 August 2006 – 18 December 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Preceded by | Stanislav Stashevsky |
| Succeeded by | Oleksandr Turchynov |
| In office 26 November 2002 – 3 February 2005 | |
| Prime Minister | Viktor Yanukovych Yulia Tymoshenko |
| Preceded by | Oleh Dubyna |
| Succeeded by | Anatoliy Kinakh |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 4 August 2006 – 18 December 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Preceded by | Viktor Pynzenyk |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Pynzenyk |
| In office 26 November 2002 – 3 February 2005 | |
| Prime Minister | Viktor Yanukovych Yulia Tymoshenko |
| Preceded by | Ihor Yushko |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Pynzenyk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nikolai Yanovich Pakhlo 17 December 1947 Kaluga, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia) |
| Citizenship | Ukrainian |
| Political party | Party of Regions (2001–2014) |
| Other political affiliations | Civil Congress of Ukraine (1992) Party of Labor (1992–2001) |
| Spouse | Lyudmyla Azarova |
| Children | Oleksiy |
| Alma mater | Moscow State University |
| Signature | |
Following the victory of Viktor Yanukovych in the 2010 presidential election, Azarov succeeded Yanukovych as leader of the Party of Regions and was appointed as prime minister in March 2010. In January 2014, after weeks of Euromaidan protests and the 2014 Hrushevskoho Street riots, Azarov offered his letter of resignation. After the Revolution of Dignity, Azarov fled to Russia and according to Azarov himself, was allegedly offered "political refugee status on the personal instructions of Vladimir Putin". Since then he has been reportedly living in the vicinity of the Russian village of Petrovo-Dalneye, near Moscow.
Since July 2014, Azarov has been on the international wanted list for alleged abuse of power. On 19 January 2015 Kyiv District Court of Pechersk Raion issued an arrest warrant as a preventive measure to allow for the extradition of Azarov from the Russian Federation. Azarov is currently the subject of international sanctions from the U.S., European Union, Norway, Canada, and Switzerland due to his role in the Euromaidan. In 2015, he set up the Ukraine Salvation Committee, a government in exile that was widely seen as a pro-Russian puppet.