Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special representative for Ukraine, has joined the board of BGS Rail, a private railcar company operating in Ukraine.
The company announced Volker’s affiliation in a press release on Sept. 1.
“Amb. Volker’s presence in the company will help BGS Rail to succeed in developing and executing growth plans, which will increase foreign direct investment and job-creation in the Ukrainian market,” the company’s statement reads.
BGS Rail provides long-term railcar rentals. It was established by BGS, an international provider of ground handling, passenger service, and aircraft fueling. The company is a member of Avia Solutions Group, an aerospace company in Central and Eastern Europe.
“By working with Avia Solutions Group in its development of BGS Rail, I see an opportunity to strengthen Ukraine‘s economy, build world-class services, and create jobs for Ukrainian citizens,” Volker said in the press release.
According to BGS Rail, prior to the new position, Volker has been an advisor to the chairman and board of directors at Avia Solutions Group and a senior international advisor at BGR Group in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. career diplomat has been out of the public eye after his resignation as an envoy to Ukraine almost a year ago, and his testimony during the U.S. President Donald Trump impeachment hearings in Congress in November.
Volker was called one of the “three amigos,” a trio of figures who cooperated with Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, to pressure Ukraine into investigating Trump’s political rival Joe Biden’s son.
The “three amigos” also included Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union at the time, and former Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
The hearings resulted in Trump’s impeachment on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
In 2008-2009, Volker served as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. In 2012-2019, the diplomat has been an executive director of Arizona State University’s McCain Institute for International Leadership.
