Investigations against the ex-president of Ukraine and the leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko are an attempt by the authorities to intimidate him. This is stated in a statement published on the website of political power.
It notes that the reason for the persecution of the politician is his position on the settlement of the armed conflict in southeastern Ukraine. In particular, Poroshenko opposes the approval of the so-called Steinmeier formula - a document that defines the mechanism for introducing a special order of local self-government in the Donbass.
“Between the signing of the“ Putin formula ”(as the party calls the Steinmeier formula. - RT ) and the attack by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine on Poroshenko and European Solidarity, a causal relationship is obvious,” the statement says.
A statement of “European solidarity” was made after reports appeared in the media that allegations of abuse of power could be brought against the former president. This, in particular, with reference to its sources in the Prosecutor General’s Office was reported by the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
The party believes that in parallel with the meetings on the signing of the Steinmeier formula in the office of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, the question of the prosecution of Poroshenko was also allegedly discussed.
In these circumstances, European Solidarity demanded that Zelensky convene the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to discuss the consequences of adopting the Stanmeier formula. This was announced by party deputy Vladimir Aryev.
“In connection with the events that are taking place, the European Solidarity faction requires Zelensky to convene the National Security and Defense Council immediately to discuss the consequences of the implementation of the formula signed in Minsk with professionals, and not with a narrow circle of people from the president’s office, as it has been so far,” He wrote on Facebook.
Formula of contention
Recall, on October 1, during a meeting in Minsk, the contact group on the Donbass agreed on the Steinmeier formula. In this regard, Poroshenko criticized the actions of Kiev and said that this document was "invented in the Kremlin" and "protects Russian interests."
“Accepting the Steinmeier formula, Ukraine voluntarily renounced the roadmap for the implementation of Minsk, which was supported by our German and French partners,” Poroshenko said during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada.
The news that the Ukrainian side approved this document was met with discontent from Ukrainian nationalists, who held a rally in Kiev on the same day. Radicals gathered at the president’s office with fireworks, flags and a large banner with the slogan “No surrender!” The protests continued the next day.
The deputy director of the Institute of the CIS countries, Vladimir Zharikhin, in an interview with RT, noted that Poroshenko was trying to use the dissatisfaction of the radicals in his own interests. He wants to consolidate these forces, as well as to draw Zelensky’s electorate to his side.
“However, in the current conditions, when Zelensky nevertheless takes certain steps in the framework of the peace process, Poroshenko does not succeed in depriving him of the support of voters,” the expert said.
- The building of the Administration of the President of Ukraine
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According to an RT source in the Batkivshchyna party, approval by the country's leadership of the Stanmeier formula was given to Trump Petro Poroshenko, who will now be able to take his supporters to the streets under the slogans of "surrender."
“Ukrainians do not really understand what is being discussed, and the statement that“ Ukraine is being handed over to Russia ”leads to protests. The basis of this movement are the radicals, which creates a dangerous situation for the current president, Vladimir Zelensky. Naturally, the president’s office is not interested in mass rallies in the streets and makes a warning to one of the main instigators, ”the source said.
The interlocutor of RT from the party "Servant of the People" noted that Zelensky is ready to make a political decision and authorize the detention of Poroshenko, if he continues to bring radicals to the streets.
“An environment that has its own personal motives calls for it. Especially Poroshenko does not like the oligarch Igor Kolomoisky. But if Poroshenko is detained, Zelensky himself can expect the same fate after his resignation as president. Zelensky violates the norms of the law, and he can be brought to justice, ”said the deputy.
Political revenge
Experts emphasize Poroshenko’s controversial stance on Minsk. Today he accuses the incumbent authorities of allegedly renouncing the Minsk agreements. However, being the president, Poroshenko himself in every possible way impeded their implementation, analysts remind.
- Protest against Steinmeier’s formula in Kiev
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- © Sergei Chuzavkov / ZUMAPRESS.com
So, during the presidency, Poroshenko, with broad support from the radical forces, established the economic and humanitarian blockade of Donbass. In January 2018, Poroshenko signed the law adopted by the Rada on the "reintegration of Donbass", which in Moscow was called an attempt to legalize the illegal actions of Kiev in southeastern Ukraine.
Some provisions of this law directly contradicted the agreements reached during the Minsk-2. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted then that the main goal of adopting a law on "reintegration" is to justify a forceful solution to the crisis in the Donbass.
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Now Zelensky said that a new law will be developed on the special status of Donbass, which will include the Steinmeier formula. His words provoked a negative reaction not only from Poroshenko and his party. The party “Fatherland” of Yulia Tymoshenko and the “Voice” of Svyatoslav Vakarchuk reacted to them in a similar way.
Sergey Lavrov, commenting on such a reaction, recalled that Steinmeier’s formula was known to the negotiators in the Norman format back in 2015.
“The subsequent reaction in Kiev, of course, alerted me. The demands of Poroshenko, the party of Yulia Tymoshenko, not to mention Vakarchuk and other radical political forces: "Explain why you are betraying the Ukrainian people." This formula was known soon as four years. Then, each time, the Norman format, both at the highest level, and at the level of ministers and experts, confirmed it. They simply could not put it on paper, ”Lavrov said on October 2 at a meeting of the Valdai international discussion club.
President of the Center for System Analysis and Forecasting Rostislav Ishchenko in an interview with RT noted that the parties of Tymoshenko and Vakarchuk will try to use dissatisfaction with Steinmeier’s formula in order to regain lost ground in the political field and attack Zelensky’s administration.
“Yulia Tymoshenko and Vakarchuk will use any action of the current government to rock the situation, because they dream of political revenge, but they are still far from that,” the political scientist said.
Portraying a victim
According to Bohdan Bezpalko, a member of the Council on Interethnic Relations under the President of Russia, the “persecution” of Poroshenko began long before the approval of Steinmeier’s formula was announced.
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“Long before these events, 11 criminal cases were opened against him; he was repeatedly summoned for interrogations, which he ignored. He is being prosecuted in criminal cases, corruption, and this has nothing to do with Steinmeier’s formula. Today, Petro Poroshenko is trying to demonstrate that he is a fierce nationalist and “is fighting against the betrayal of the interests of Ukraine” in order to earn political points and pretend to be a politically persecuted person, ”Bogdan Bezpalko said in an interview with RT.
The expert also added that the dissatisfaction of the radicals with Steinmeier’s formula is not a sufficient reason to organize a new Maidan, since Zelensky currently enjoys a large credit of trust from the population.
“Moreover, the latest rallies of radicals turned out to be small,” the expert noted.
Zharikhin also noted that today there are no conditions for the emergence of a new Maidan.
“Maidan is possible if the rating of the current government drops sharply, as was the case with Kuchma at the last stage of his reign and with Yanukovych. Today the rating of Zelensky and his party is high, and, accordingly, there is practically no possibility for a new Maidan, ”the expert concluded.