Vasyl Tsushko

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Vasyl Tsushko

| caption =

| image = Tsushko.jpg

| office = 3rd Governor of Odesa Oblast

| termstart = 3 February 2005

| termend = 2006

| president = Viktor Yushchenko

| primeminister = {{Ubl

| Yulia Tymoshenko

| Yuriy Yekhanurov

| Viktor Yanukovych

}}

| predecessor = Serhiy Hrynevetskyi

| successor = Borys Zvyahintsev (acting)

| office1 = Minister of Economics

| term_start1 = March 11, 2010

| term_end1 = December 10, 2010

| predecessor1 = Bohdan Danylyshyn

| successor1 = Post dismissed

| office2 = Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine

| term_start2 = December 1, 2006

| term_end2 = December 18, 2007

| predecessor2 = Yuriy Lutsenko

| successor2 = Yuriy Lutsenko

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|2|1}}

| birth_place = Nadrichne, Tarutyne Raion, Odesa Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

| death_date =

| death_place =

| relations = Son and daughter

| party = Socialist Party of Ukraine
Socialists

| occupation = Politician

| signature =

| native_name_lang = uk

| native_name = {{nobold|Василь Цушко}}

}}

Vasyl Petrovych Tsushko ({{langx|uk|Василь Петрович Цушко}}; born 1 February 1963) is a Ukrainian politician former Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, former Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, and former Head of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine 2010-2014.

From July 2010 to August 2011 he was the party leader of the Socialist Party of Ukraine.

Biography

Vasyl Tsushko was born in the Nadrichne village, Odesa Oblast in the Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine); he is of mixed Ukrainian-Moldovan ancestry and is fluent in Romanian. In 1982, Tsushko finished the Izmail Vocational school of Mechanics and Electronics of Agriculture. From 1983–1985, Tsushko served in the Soviet Army. After completing the 2 years army course, he went on to study at the economic faculty at the Odesa Agriculture Institute, from which he graduated in 1988.

From 1986–1998, Tsushko was the head of two collective farms. From 1994–2002, Vasyl Tsushko served as a national deputy of the second, third, and fourth convocations of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament). In 2005, he graduated from the National University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the qualification of a lawyer. From May 1997, he was a member of the Socialist Party of Ukraine and the first Vice-president of the Committee of Bank and Financing of Ukraine. He was chosen as the head of the Odesa Oblast Government Administration on February 3, 2005.{{cite web|url=http://ivona.bigmir.net/showbiz/highlife/391924-Istorija-ljubvi-Vasilija-Cushko--V-molchanii-hranjatsja-tajny|language=ru|title=The love story of Vasily Tsushko: In the silence kept secrets|website=ivona.bigmir.net|date= 15 May 2014}}

Tsushko was chosen as the Minister of Internal Affairs on December 1, 2006, after his predecessor Yuriy Lutsenko was dismissed by the parliament. On May 26, 2007, Tsushko suffered from a heart attack and was later hospitalized in critical condition.{{cite web|url=http://www.korrespondent.net/main/192151|title=Instead of questioning, Tsushko was sent for medical observation|publisher=Korrespondent|date=2007-05-29|language=ru}} According to medical results, he suffered from an overdose of methylxanthine.{{cite web|url=http://www.korrespondent.net/main/192431|title=Obkom: Tsushko suffered from methylxanthine overdose|publisher=Korrespondent|date=2007-05-30|language=ru}} After worsening health, he was later flown to a hospital in Germany.{{cite web|url=http://www.korrespondent.net/main/192662|title=With his worsening condition, Tsushko was sent to Germany|publisher=Korrespondent|date=2007-05-31|language=ru}} A Ukrainian advocate Tetyana Montyan, stated that his heart attack was a result of poisoning.{{cite web|url=http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=11758466|title=Ukrainian Interior Minister Tsushko's heart attack caused by poisoning – lawyer|publisher=Interfax|date=2007-05-31}} The Interfax news agency reports that Vasyl Tsushko's condition deteriorated while in the medical clinic in Germany. On September 30, 2007, Tsushko announced that he would resign as Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, due to the need for his health rehabilitation.{{cite web|url=http://www.korrespondent.net/main/209688|title=Tsushko resigns|website=www.korrespondent.net|date=2007-09-30|language=ru}}

On July 24, 2010, Tsushko took over Socialist Party leadership from Oleksandr Moroz[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/politics/detail/75359/ Economy minister appointed Socialist Party head], Kyiv Post (July 26, 2010)

Tsushko headed the Ukrainian Economy Ministry from March to December 2010 and was appointed as head of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine on December 14, 2010.{{cite news|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/ukraine-politics/parliament-gives-consent-to-tsushkos-appointment-a-92818.html|title=Parliament gives consent to Tsushko's appointment as head of Antimonopoly Committee - Dec. 14, 2010|date=December 14, 2010|newspaper=Kyiv Post}} Worked as a Head of the Antimonopoly Committee till 26 March 2014.[http://www.kyivpost.com/content/politics/parliament-dismisses-tsushko-as-antimonopoly-committee-chief-at-second-attempt-340913.html Parliament dismisses Tsushko as Antimonopoly Committee chief at second attempt], Kyiv Post (26 March 2014)

Tsushko ran as a presidential candidate in the 2014 Ukrainian presidential election. In the election he got 10 434 votes (0.06% of the total vote); making him the second to last most unsuccessful candidate of the election.{{Cite web|url=https://ukr.vote/en/elections/1/ukraine|title=Електоральна пам'ять|website=ukr.vote}}

Tsushko is married and has a son and daughter. He is interested in historical literature.