Former Minister of Justice of Ukraine Yelena Lukash said in an interview with 112 Ukraine that President Vladimir Zelensky had tricked his constituents. In her opinion, the former showman, who called himself a “sentence” to Petro Poroshenko, continued the policy of his predecessor in all key areas.
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 deficit in the state system of personnel independent of the previous regime and the American billionaire George Soros. From her point of view, forming a team, the Kiev authorities act on the principle of "choose the worst from the bad." The ex-minister described the head of state’s policy as a “madhouse” and a “freak show”.
“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 .
The ex-minister is convinced that the political system of Ukraine is almost completely controlled by the West. The president, from her point of view, “is in a lackey state”, which does not allow building “an understandable simple legal system” in the country.
“The third month as Irina Venediktova (Prosecutor General of Ukraine. - RT ) at the post. Even the most gullible and naive Ukrainians noticed that the second "spring" of Zelensky had already passed. Inaction dragged on, ”said Lukash, referring to the showman’s campaign slogan“ Spring is coming - we will plant it. ”
Political scientists note that part of Ukrainian society perceived this phrase as a promise to initiate criminal proceedings against Poroshenko and his associates.
"Step Forward, Two Backward"
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 millions of Ukrainians associated with Zelensky’s victory the hope for peace and positive changes in the country.
“Vladimir Zelensky won as president-peacemaker ... But today, the negotiations have turned into convulsions: a step forward, two steps back. Work on a political settlement is not ongoing. In the east, shelling intensified and people died. Zelensky flirts with the radicals, his position in the Donbass is equal to the position of Poroshenko, ”stated in the HMO.
- APU positions on the contact line in the Donbass
- © Anatolii STEPANOV / AFP
According to the leadership of the Opposition Platform - For Life, Zelensky was defeated in the fight against corruption, was unable to restore order in law enforcement agencies 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.
“Zelensky promised to hear the people and fulfill the will of citizens. But, becoming president, he completely turned his back on the Ukrainian people and betrayed his voters. Contrary to the will of the people, without holding a referendum, Ukrainian land was sold. Enterprises are on sale. Contrary to campaign promises, the policy of discrimination against Russian-speaking citizens continues, ”the political force emphasized.
Skeptically evaluate the interim results of the presidency of Zelensky and in Moscow. The Russian Foreign Ministry recently recalled the showman’s promise to “save Ukrainians from the legacy” of their predecessor and to overcome the split in society. However, the measures announced by Zelensky turned out to be "declarations of good intentions."
Diplomats note that Ukraine has not yet made decisions to combat corruption, the influence of the oligarchy on power, the investigation of events on the Maidan, "political killings and other crimes of the previous regime."
According to representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Zelensky’s team ignores public requests to please the West. For example, contrary to the position of the vast majority of the population, “at the direction of the outside”, the president and his associates are promoting the opening of the land market.
In addition, the diplomatic department accused Zelensky of reluctance to defend the rights of Russian-speaking citizens, the absence of drastic changes to resolve the situation in the Donbass, and the "panic fear of the aggressive minority of national radicals" that he inherited from Poroshenko.
“It’s sad, but today Russophobia gets a new breath in Ukraine, it’s being erected, just like under P.A. Poroshenko, in the rank of state policy. A year ago, this course was rejected by the majority of the country's population, which V.A. Zelensky road to power. It is unfortunate that over time, the government changes the attitude of the servants of the people to the interests of the people who elect them, ”the foreign ministry commented.
In an interview with RT, associate professor of MGIMO Kirill Koktysh stated that Zelensky did not take place as a “subject of power” and could not consolidate the reins of government in his hands. In particular, the president of Ukraine did not dare to pursue an autonomous political course from the West and the oligarchs, although he could try to do this, relying on colossal popular support after the election, the expert said.
“Zelensky won against the backdrop of people's fatigue from Poroshenko, his aggressive militaristic rhetoric, against the backdrop of hopes for a better life. I think that at some stage Zelensky was hoping that he could change the situation in the country, but faced with the resistance of the old team and the West, he chose the option of compromise. This explains the lack of changes that voters expected from him, ”Koktysh explained.
"Save the rest of the rating"
Recall that May 20 marks the year since the inauguration of Zelensky. In the second round of elections, which took place on April 21, 209, he won an impressive victory over Poroshenko, gaining 73.22% of the vote. Summing up the results of his first year at the helm of the country on the blog for the New York Times, Zelensky called his main achievements stable cooperation with the West, breaking negotiations on the Donbass from the impasse, returning prisoners of war, and on the whole a successful fight against the coronavirus threat.
The President believes that his team consists of “smart, energetic, capable and loyal people” who made a “firm commitment to improve the situation in our country”. At the same time, Zelensky recognized the lack of political experience among many members of the office of the head of state and government.
- Zelensky welcomes voters before the inauguration in the Verkhovna Rada
- © Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP
According to experts, the factor of staff starvation really played against the current president. Due to the acute shortage of professional managers in the circle, Zelensky promoted people with no experience in the civil service and “dubious background” to posts in the administration, government and law enforcement agencies.
Often, the president has appointed former show business partners as heads of major government institutions. For example, from August 29, 2019, the head of the SBU is Alexander Bakanov, who previously headed Studio Quarter-95 LLC, and since May 21 last year, the first deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine has been occupied by Sergey Trofimov, a former executive producer of Quarter-95.
“Zelensky came to power virtually without a team, if you mean people who understand state building. However, he was unable to fulfill even a minimum of promises that did not require special ingenuity, for example, to launch cases where representatives of the old government would become accused, and not witnesses. It took a will, but it didn’t turn out, ”stated Kirill Koktysh.
In turn, the deputy dean of the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics at the Higher School of Economics, Andrey Suzdaltsev, in an interview with RT, said that the fulfillment of the slogan “spring will come - we will plant” would require “cleansing” the entire Ukrainian political elite with unpredictable consequences. According to him, corruption is a “skeleton of Ukrainian statehood,” and its destruction will inevitably begin a massive erosion of government institutions.
“Of course, Zelensky did not live up to the expectations of voters. But for change, huge resources are needed and the support of external forces. Zelensky did not have them and do not have them. Moreover, the truly serious changes require a clear concept of state building, and there were no ideologists and intellectuals in Zelensky’s team. Today, the former showman has no choice but to portray activity and try to keep the rest of the election rating, ”summed up Suzdaltsev.