Beginning in 2014, Ardzinba worked in the
Presidential Administration of Russia, eventually becoming deputy of
Vladislav Surkov, then an assistant to the
President of the Russian Federation. In 2016, Ardzinba played a prominent role in the
Surkov leaks. He advocates for the
BRICS to play a leading role in international politics after Russia was expelled from the
Group of Eight.
Abkhazia In January 2020, Ardzinba founded the
Future of Abkhazia party. Until then, he was considered to be close to the party
Amtsakhara. Shortly thereafter, Ardzinba supported then-opposition candidate
Aslan Bzhania in the
2020 Abkhazian presidential election. His appointment was a surprise for many experts on the region. He is the youngest person to ever hold the office. After he was appointed, Ardzinba stated that the deepening of cooperation with Russia was a priority for Abkhazia’s foreign policy. In January 2022, Ardzinba halted the
EU's and
UNDP's confidence-building COBERM program in Abkhazia. In July 2022, he proposed moving the
Geneva International Discussions "to another more neutral city" like
Minsk or
Istanbul.
Involvement in Ukraine As an official of the Presidential Administration of Russia, Ardzinba dealt with issues of interaction with
Ukraine and the self-proclaimed
Donetsk People's Republic and
Luhansk People's Republic. In May 2015, the
Security Service of Ukraine submitted to the Prosecutor General's Office materials on Ardzinba's involvement in terrorist activities on the territory of Ukraine. In November, the Prosecutor's Office of the Odesa region began an investigation
in absentia against Ardzinba in connection with an attempt to change the state borders of Ukraine. In November 2015, Ukraine put Ardzinba on the international wanted list for violating the country's constitutional order. This information was confirmed by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine
David Sakvarelidze. In December 2015, he was accused by the Ukrainian authorities of trying to destabilize the situation in
Bessarabia in southern Ukraine. On 10 June 2016, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine
Vasyl Hrytsak announced that a criminal case was being conducted against Ardzinba in connection with his involvement in an attempt to create the Bessarabian People's Republic in the
Odesa region of Ukraine – the formation of pro-
Putin separatists similar to the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic. == Personal life ==