Friends And Foes In Akhmetov's Orbit

A once-perfect partnership: Akhmetov is considered one of the main beneficiaries of Viktor Yanukovych's political career, trading political support for unfettered access to top government tenders and privatization deals. Here, the two Donetsk natives celebrate a 2006 win by the home side, Akhmetov's Shakhtar Donetsk. 

Yanukovych's son, Oleksandr, was also a government beneficiary, quietly receivng contracts on behalf of "the Family." Once friendly with Akhmetov, the relationship has cooled since Akhmetov renounced ties with his father following his February escape to Russia. The younger Yanukovych now appears to be acting as the family's agent of revenge, and is currently suing Akhmetov for $75 million. 

Tymoshenko earned Akhmetov's enmity in 2004 after canceling an $800 million deal by Akhmetov and Viktor Pinchuk, the son-in-law of former President Leonid Kuchma, to acquire Kryvorizhstal, the country's largest steel mill. Now, as a presidential candidate, Tymoshenko appears to have softened her stance, and was rumored to have met with Akhmetov during a trip to Donetsk this week. 

Akhmetov, despite serving as a parliament deputy, rarely embraces political roles, and most recently turned down the job of governing the Donetsk region. In his place, he recommended a political nemesis, Serhiy Taruta, a Tymoshenko ally and a longstanding voice for Ukrainian unity. Taruta (right) meets with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Donetsk on March 22. 

The Party of Regions has found itself in political dissaray following Yanukovych's ouster. With presidential elections approaching on May 25, Akhmetov and the party have failed to front a viable candidate, settling instead for former Kharkiv Governor Mykhailo Dobkin, who currently faces criminal charges for leading a separatist movement. 

Vadym Novinsky, a fellow billionaire and Party of Regions member, is considered one of Akhmetov's closest political advisers and holds a stake in his Metinvest company. A native Russian, Novinsky received Ukrainian citizenship in 2012 and remains one of the country's most openly pro-Russian politicians.