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Billionaire EU Campaigner 'Paid' Tony Blair

'Tony Blair, the favourite to become Europe’s first president, is believed to have accepted tens of thousands of pounds from a steel billionaire campaigning for Ukraine to join the European Union.'

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From The Sunday Times

October 11, 2009

Billionaire EU campaigner 'paid' Tony Blair

Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Bojan Pancevski

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(Vladimir Sindeyev)

Viktor Pinchuk

Tony Blair, the favourite to become Europe’s first president, is believed to have accepted tens of thousands of pounds from a steel billionaire campaigning for Ukraine to join the European Union.

Victor Pinchuk, who is championing the country’s bid for EU membership, has already hired Stephen Byers, the former Labour cabinet minister, to press his case. He reportedly paid Blair to give a keynote speech in Ukraine.

Ukrainian diplomats are preparing to launch a membership bid as early as next year and consider Blair a key ally.

Several European countries support closer economic ties with Ukraine but have not directly backed a bid. Some, including Germany, are concerned that closer links with Ukraine may jeopardise relations with Russia.

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Blair’s commercial activities and links to key business figures such as Pinchuk will come under scrutiny in any campaign for the EU presidency. The details of the role and contract of employment for the presidency are expected to be discussed by Gordon Brown and other leaders this month.

Pinchuk founded Yalta European Strategy (YES) to campaign for Ukraine to join the EU. Byers, the former trade secretary, is chairman of the board. Blair attended the annual YES meeting in the Ukrainian city of Yalta last year, giving the main speech.

Blair also attended an event sponsored by Pinchuk at the Davos summit in Switzerland this year, along with Bill Gates, Sir Richard Branson and Bill Clinton. He was not paid for this event.

A spokesman for Blair confirmed he was not paid for the Davos event but would not comment on the Yalta appearance.