Mikheil Saakashvili may soon receive the post of deputy prime minister in the Ukrainian government. The politician himself announced this on his Facebook. According to the ex-president of Georgia and the former governor of Odessa region, the Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky suggested that he oversee the reforms.  

“It is a great honor for me to receive an offer from President Zelensky to become deputy prime minister of the Ukrainian government for reform,” Saakashviliili wrote. 

Later this information was confirmed by the deputy head of the party Zelensky "Servant of the people" Yevgeny Kravchuk. She said that the issue of appointing Saakashvili could be resolved at an extraordinary meeting of the Verkhovna Rada on April 24.

“Yes, indeed, Saakashvili’s candidacy for the position of Vice Prime Minister for Reform is under consideration. David Arahamia reported this possibility. Saakashvili is supported by the president, and now we are collecting information on whether his deputies will support him, ”the Interfax-Ukraine deputy quotes.

Kravchuk noted that Saakashvili was invited to a meeting of the faction on April 24 to represent the deputies, as well as discuss his candidacy.  

A RT source in the “Servant of the People” party said that the idea of ​​returning the Georgian ex-president to the active political field of Ukraine belongs to the president of Ukraine.  

“The initiative to return Mikheil Saakashvili personally belongs to Vladimir Zelensky, who, obviously, decided to create a counterbalance system in politics. The parliament intends to vote for the anti-Colomian law (banking law. - RT ), and the confrontation between Zelensky and Kolomoisky will intensify. Apparently, Mikheil Saakashvili should help Zelensky in this confrontation. It seems to me that the idea is so-so. But there will be a lot of noise and show, ”the source said. 

Recall that during his political activity in Ukraine, Saakashvili repeatedly spoke sharply about Igor Kolomoisky (who at one time was called the main beneficiary of the arrival of Vladimir Zelensky in politics), and even threatened the oligarch with a prison term.  

Citizen of the world 

Mikheil Saakashvili was president of Georgia from 2008 to 2013. In October 2013, without waiting for the end of his second presidential term, he left the country and flew to Brussels. In 2014, the Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office opened several cases against Saakashvili, including on charges of abuse of authority and embezzlement of budget funds.  

In 2015, at the invitation of Petro Poroshenko, he arrived in Ukraine, received Ukrainian citizenship, and in May was appointed governor of the Odessa region. 

  • Petro Poroshenko presents Mikhail Saakashvili with the certificate of the governor of Odessa region
  • © Ukrainian Presidential Press Service / Mykola Lazarenko / Handout via Reuters

However, in November 2016, the politician announced that he was leaving his post because of the inability to overcome corruption among officials. 

After some time, Saakashvili noted that he intends to fight the dominance of crime in the highest echelons of Ukrainian power and formed the party "Movement of New Forces". 

Gradually, his statements acquired a pronounced anti-government character. By the end of 2017, Saakashvili began to consistently call for impeachment of Petro Poroshenko.  

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At the same time, the country's authorities tried to neutralize the newly emerging opposition. He was deprived of citizenship and expelled from Ukraine. But with the support of supporters, Saakashvili managed to return, illegally crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border. At the same time, his followers more than once acted quite aggressively and arranged clashes with the police. 

At the same time, Saakashvili filed a series of lawsuits against Kiev, considering the actions of the authorities unjustified and illegal. And the members of his Movement of New Forces party periodically staged rallies and protests. However, Saakashvili was soon detained and again deported to Poland, from where the politician left for the Netherlands, where his family lives.  

An RT source in the European Solidarity party noted that he was shocked by Zelensky’s decision to propose Saakashvili a cabinet post.  

“It seems to me that this is crazy. After all that Saakashvili did, he broke through the border and ran on the roof, only a big optimist can appoint him deputy prime minister, ”the source said.

In his opinion, Saakashvili can be used to combat objectionable politicians.

“Apparently, Zelensky decided to confront the Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, who is also strengthening his position. The problem is only one thing - will Saakashvili begin to fight with Zelensky himself, especially on the issues of negotiations on the Donbass. I believe that Zelensky will lose in the long run from this initiative, ”the representative of European Solidarity explained. 

In turn, the RT source in the Batkivshchyna party believes that Saakashvili’s appointment could bring down Zelensky’s ratings. 

“Business and ordinary people are unhappy with Zelensky. There are no real support programs for people who have been quarantined for almost a month. The government apparently has no ideas how to save a small business. But the reforms will be carried out by a person who managed to show all his unsuitability in the Odessa region. Many perceive this as a mockery and weakness of the president himself, ”the representative of the Fatherland said. 

Zelensky's support 

Recall that shortly after being elected president, Vladimir Zelensky with his decree returned Saakashvili to Ukrainian citizenship. This happened on May 28, 2019, the very next day the politician arrived in Ukraine.  

Upon returning, Saakashvili again criticized Petro Poroshenko and his proteges, saying that they prevented his party, the Movement of New Forces, from participating in the elections to the Verkhovna Rada. In June 2019, the politician said that the CEC functionaries appointed under Poroshenko deliberately did not allow candidates from his party to register for the election. 

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A month later, in July 2019, Saakashvili announced that his party, the Movement of New Forces, refused to participate in elections to the Verkhovna Rada in favor of the political force of President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, “Servant of the People.” 

“I think that President Zelensky needs to be given a chance to form a majority without concessions to the old politicians ... We ask supporters to support our majority, and according to the current situation, to vote for the“ Servant of the people ”, the politician said on Facebook. 

Saakashvili noted that the voices of supporters of his party can help the “Servant of the people” following the parliamentary elections “independently form a government”. 

At the same time, the leadership of the “Servant of the People” party then stated that it did not have any agreements on this issue either with the Saakashvili faction or with any other political forces, and his actions were his personal initiative.  

Saakashvili did not forget about Georgia - in September 2019, he promised that he would return to the country in the fall of 2020 on the eve of the parliamentary elections. He stated that, despite the threat of arrest, he would arrive in Georgia to “help the people deal with the oligarch Ivanishvili.” 

External interests  

Neither Zelensky’s administration, nor Ukraine as a state needs such a person as a responsible person in the highest echelons of the executive branch, said Denis Denisov, director of the Institute for Peace Initiatives and Conflictology, in an interview with RT. 

“I am sure this is an initiative of the West, which is trying to arrange people who have long been its agents, including in the post-Soviet space, into pleasant and convenient positions. In this case, with the help of Saakashvili, it will be possible to influence the decisions of the president and the cabinet, and due to his shockingness and publicity, it will be possible to criticize a number of areas, ideas that the West considers uncomfortable for themselves, although they can be justified for Ukraine, ”he explained expert.  

  • Vladimir Zelensky in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
  • Reuters

Saakashvili has already established himself as a person who destroys a lot and creates a little, Denisov added. At the same time, the political scientist noted that Zelensky still has time to change his mind.  

“We must first wait to appoint him or not. Saakashvili is poorly managed, and in Ukraine he has already demonstrated this. If he occupies this position, then in a few weeks, months he will begin to criticize the president and his entourage. If this decision was initiated by the West, then Saakashvili will be quite difficult to remove from this post later. But this is the president’s choice, ”said Denisov.  

The personnel policy of the current president of Ukraine is completely irrational, because he chooses people by chance, by sympathy or thanks to advice, Mikhail Pogrebinsky, director of the Kiev Center for Political Studies and Conflictology, emphasized in a commentary on RT. 

“In the case of Saakashvili, most likely someone advised Zelensky, because he is a politician who has a reputation as a reformer in the West and in certain circles in Ukraine associated with Soros, the US Democratic Party. These people could advise the president that he needs authority in these circles, because the government, led by a man who was still the director of the power plant yesterday, does not look convincing. Zelensky might like this idea, ”the political scientist noted.  

Ukraine today is on the verge of a catastrophe, and the appointment of the ex-president of Georgia can accelerate it, says Mikhail Pogrebinsky. 

“If Saakashvili is appointed to this position, this will accelerate the process of moving towards disaster. It is difficult to predict when it will happen, maybe in six months or a year, but it will certainly be, judging by the problems the country is facing, ”the expert added.

Pogrebinsky suggested that Zelensky could consider Saakashvili as an intermediary, with the help of which Kiev could quickly receive funds from the IMF, after which it would be easy to get rid of it. At the same time, the appointment of the ex-president of Georgia may increase political instability in Ukraine due to his conflict with the leader of European Solidarity Petro Poroshenko. 

“Perhaps, Saakashvili will try to settle accounts with the ex-president, because he is a vindictive person. He would like Poroshenko to be imprisoned. Whether he will be able to advance this process is not known, ”the political scientist explained. 

Mikhail Pogrebinsky noted that despite the fact that Saakashvili has supporters and followers in Ukraine, he should not expect widespread support from citizens.  

“The rest of the Ukrainians will say that the president is sick on the head, respectively, picks people for himself by rank. I don’t think that the majority will be happy with this appointment and will support such a step, ”the political scientist concluded.