Petro Poroshenko met with Vladimir Zelensky and offered him his help, but the current president of Ukraine refused to cooperate with his predecessor due to a lack of trust. Zelensky said this in an interview with Ukrainian Truth.  

“Poroshenko from the very beginning of my presidency wanted to meet with me. I did not see any point in this. I didn’t see any sense in this because everything that Petro Poroshenko said before, I consider to be untrue. I really believe that he is an experienced manipulator and an experienced politician. Therefore, I do not believe him, ”the publication quotes the words of the Ukrainian leader.

“I do not trust him”

The President noted that during the 2019 election, Poroshenko launched an information campaign against him and his family, during which he disseminated false and defamatory information about the showman.  

“I have come a long way in this lie, then I draw conclusions about what he did as president. I do not trust him, I do not believe him; he is not my president, ”Zelensky admitted. 

According to him, after the election, Petro Poroshenko offered him help in establishing contacts in the international arena, but the actions of the ex-president only led to the fact that the Western partners of Ukraine were distrustful of the new head of state.

“Every time I met with leaders from abroad, they first perceived me as ... Wary? Highly. As an enemy of Ukraine. Such an enhanced psychological portrait was made by Mr. Peter Alekseevich himself or his people. That's all, ”Zelensky explained. 

He also noted that political alliances with Petro Poroshenko are impossible due to the fact that it is impossible to negotiate with him.  

“This is said by both his former friends and his former enemies, our first presidents. They say: it makes no sense, ”Zelensky says. 

In an interview, the President of Ukraine also emphasized that the issue of prosecution of Poroshenko should remain within the competence of law enforcement agencies.  

“These are questions that only law enforcement agencies can answer. Well, how should I decide - what am I to him, court? Well, come on seriously. A person must "sit" if there is something to "sit" for. That's all. And for what "to sit", establish law enforcement agencies, then the court renders the sentence, "said Vladimir Zelensky.  

Commenting on Zelensky’s interview and his statements regarding his predecessor, experts interviewed by RT agreed that the current head of Ukraine “once again showed his incompetence and lack of professionalism.”

“If Zelensky agreed to meet face-to-face with Poroshenko, then he should not tell the details of this meeting. He will not get additional popularity from his actions either among the opponents of the former president or among his supporters, ”Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the Institute of CIS Countries, said in an interview with RT.

A similar opinion is shared by Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of the Moscow State Pedagogical University. In an interview with RT, he recalled that Zelensky built his election campaign not just on rivalry with Poroshenko, but on a promise to launch criminal prosecution against him.  

“Everyone remembers the debate in which Zelensky said the phrase:“ I am your sentence. ” It was one of the cornerstones of his platform. The way Zelensky behaves now, devalues ​​his position during the election campaign. He showed himself to be an insecure, weak politician, incapable of taking strong steps and fulfilling his pledges. Zelensky, in fact, evades the answer and is discouraged by common phrases, ”Shapovalov emphasized.

“All things end in nothing”

Recall, Petro Poroshenko led Ukraine in 2014 after the coup. He held this post until 2019, when he lost the election to Vladimir Zelensky. The showman during his presidential campaign has repeatedly stated that Poroshenko expects criminal prosecution and even called himself a “sentence” to his predecessor.  

Roman Truba, who headed the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine in 2017-2019, said at the end of last year that 15 criminal cases had already been opened against the ex-president of the country.  

  • Ex-President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko
  • Reuters
  • © Vasily Fedosenko

On the eve of June 10, another case was revealed regarding Petro Poroshenko. The ex-president was informed of suspicion in the case of the illegal appointment of the deputy head of the foreign intelligence service, Sergei Semochko.

“When we went to the GDB, the prosecutor’s office of the prosecutor general approached us and wanted to hand him a suspicion in the case of appointing the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Semochko,” said Ilya Novikov, Poroshenko’s lawyer. 

According to him, Poroshenko refused to receive suspicion and left the building of the GDB. 

The ministry’s statement said that Poroshenko, being the president of Ukraine in 2018, through a “clearly criminal decree, persuaded the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine to exceed his authority and official powers”. 

Later, the office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine stated that the investigation intends to ask the court to elect Petro Poroshenko a preventive measure in the form of arrest. 

“At present, the issue of choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention in respect of the suspect is being decided,” the supervisor said. 

However, experts believe that neither the number of open cases against Poroshenko, nor the intention of law enforcement officers to imprison him, in fact, speak of nothing. 

“As a rule, all initiated cases of this kind in Ukraine end in nothing. Therefore, the fact of the trial itself does not indicate that Zelensky fulfills his promises. This applies not only to Poroshenko, it relates to corruption in general as a phenomenon. Zelensky’s team did not advance in this direction, no real steps have been taken, ”said Vladimir Shapovalov.  

He recalled that the beginning of the process of bringing the ex-president to justice was promising: the lawyer Andrei Portnov was actively collecting dirt on Poroshenko and it seemed that the ex-president would soon be in prison. 

“However, the case has not moved forward. The blame here is on Zelensky itself and its political environment, with their fear of spoiling relations with the West. Therefore, I consider the lack of progress as evidence of Zelensky’s weakness, ”Shapovalov emphasized in a conversation with RT.  

In addition, Vladimir Zharikhin, in an interview with RT, admitted that as long as Ukraine is dependent on the United States, Zelensky will continue Poroshenko’s policy, about which he stated “distrust”. 

“Zelensky did not fulfill the promise to pursue Poroshenko, like many others. Perhaps he was going to do something in this direction, but he was not allowed. There was an agreement with those who manage processes in Ukraine and are located overseas that Poroshenko does not try to stay in power and the new president does not prosecute him, therefore, they do not hold the former head of Ukraine accountable for corruption, ”the analyst believes.  

Political successor  

Despite criticism and the formally initiated criminal prosecution of Poroshenko, some political scientists, as well as representatives of political circles in Ukraine, note that the new head of state actually continues the course of the former president, whom he condemned during his campaign.  

In particular, ex-Minister of Justice of Ukraine Elena Lukash made such an assessment of Zelensky’s activities. In an interview with 112 Ukraine, she said that Vladimir Zelensky had tricked his constituents. 

  • Vladimir Zelensky
  • Reuters
  • © Sergey Dolzhenko / Pool

As an example, Lukash cited the reforms that the current president is promoting, the lack of peace in the Donbass, and “kneeling” before the West. She also blamed Zelensky for a shortage of personnel in the state system, independent of the previous administration and the American billionaire George Soros. 

“We certainly did not vote for them. It’s not just a flawed, mediocre and ineffective policy, it’s a deceit of voters ... The bodies that provide and guarantee the vital functions of the state are left with old people who are comfortable for those who need overseas, Zelensky himself is surrounded by an incredibly weak staff of professional traitors, ”said Lukash . 

At the end of May, the second most popular party in Ukraine, Opposition Platform - For Life (OPZZh), was accused of deceiving and betraying voters by the head of state.  

Her statement said that Zelensky was defeated in the fight against corruption, was unable to restore order in law enforcement and brought into power "unprepared and illiterate people." At the same time, Poroshenko and his team turned into political partners of the current president, having received the status of “untouchables”, stated in the party. 

Vladimir Shapovalov called such accusations against the current Kiev authorities indicative.  

“What is the reason for this? Zelensky does not have his own program, except for a couple of slogans. He also does not have a team, and, despite the credit of trust, he has corny no political associates on whom he can rely. He has to go through the old patterns, ”says Shapovalov. 

In addition, from his point of view, Zelensky is not able to confront the radical nationalist minority, which dominates the sphere of ideological values, and promotes "radical Ukrainians."  

“Zelensky is not able to confront them, so he is forced to follow their lead and thus continue Poroshenko’s policy,” concluded Shapovalov.