Kiev decided to cut off the last threads linking it with Russia.
This is how one can qualify the ban on flights to Russia by the head of the political council of the Ukrainian party "Opposition Platform - For Life" Viktor Medvedchuk, who was told about by his associate MP Kiva.
Medvedchuk was a convenient alternative for Zelensky's team.
Due to the ban on any relationship with Moscow, the Ukrainian authorities were unable to resolve issues that were truly important to society.
Medvedchuk was able to block this loss.
Direct flights between Russia and Ukraine were terminated on October 25, 2015.
Then Kiev unilaterally banned the largest Russian airlines from flying over its territory.
The ban also extended to transit flights through Ukraine.
The Ukrainian authorities explained their decision by "protection from aggressive actions" of Russia.
Why is Medvedchuk and his flights in the attention of the Ukrainian authorities right now?
Most likely, the ruling team is extremely unpleasant that the opposition politician continues to earn points on exclusive relations with the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.
On January 16, their joint statement was published that they would unilaterally hand over a group of detainees to Kiev through Medvedchuk's mediation.
It was noted that this group will include women, elderly people and those suffering from serious diseases.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called a blow to the Normandy format the decision of the DPR and LPR to transfer not to Ukraine, but to Viktor Medvedchuk, the head of the political council of the Opposition Platform - For Life party, a group of Ukrainian citizens held there.
By and large, the transmission scheme itself is not so essential.
It doesn't matter whether the prisoners will be handed over to a specific person or representatives of the state.
The main thing is that they will gain freedom.
In principle, the Ukrainian authorities should have been grateful to Medvedchuk for being able to return the prisoners home.
But a different logic is at work here.
The opposition politician does not receive any credit.
All his actions (for the good of Ukraine) are classified as hostile.
Ukrainian democracy has long crossed the barrier separating it from the most ferocious tyrannies.
Bans on all political rights and freedoms have become routine even under Petro Poroshenko.
Under Vladimir Zelensky, the practice of total restrictions was continued.
This mainly concerned ordinary citizens.
The deprivation of Viktor Medvedchuk of the right to freedom of movement speaks of the authorities' intention to repress representatives of the upper political level.
Obviously, Medvedchuk will survive new restrictions.
There are many alternative routes.
Like other Ukrainian citizens, he will be able to get to Moscow via Minsk, which has been the main transit point for Ukrainians working in Russia for several years.
This is not the question.
If the ruling team can ban one of the leading politicians from flying in the Russian direction, then with ordinary people it will not have a problem at all to do anything.
Ukraine, in which the control system almost does not work, is trying to compensate for the control by new repressions.
It is unlikely that this will help Zelensky's team take control of the situation in the country.
All the same, we are not talking about executions or many years of imprisonment.
This is the story when we are scared, but we are not scared.
Senseless bans that are easily overcome are another evidence of the weakness of the Ukrainian government.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.