According to The New York Times, in January 2017, Artemenko brought Sater and Cohen a peace plan in which, in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, Russia would withdraw its troops from Eastern Ukraine while Ukraine would hold a referendum on whether to “lease” Crimea to Russia. Artemenko, who served two years in jail in Ukraine for embezzlement charges (which were ultimately dropped, and which he claims were politically motivated), also claimed to have evidence of corruption under the Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko. Sater and Cohen then reportedly transmitted Artemenko’s plan to Flynn, who at the time was serving as President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser. The leader of Artemenko’s political party in Ukraine disavowed his peace plan and expelled Artemenko from the parliamentary faction, and prosecutors in Ukraine are investigating whether Artemenko’s actions constitute treason.