“Enlisted the support of the West”: what is behind the return of Poroshenko to Kiev

On Monday, January 17, in the Pechersky District Court of Kiev, almost the whole day, the issue of choosing a preventive measure for ex-president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, who is suspected of treason and promoting terrorism, was considered.

However, the decision was never made, and late in the evening the judge postponed the meeting to January 19.

The former head of state flew to Kiev from Warsaw in the morning, a few hours before the start of the meeting.

At Zhuliany airport, not only supporters were waiting for him, but also employees of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) of Ukraine, who tried to hand Poroshenko a subpoena with a summons to court and a request for a preventive measure in the form of detention.

However, the politician's entourage prevented the SBI investigators from handing over the documents to him.

At the same time, Poroshenko himself said that at the border they took away his passport and “tried not to let him into the territory of Ukraine.”

However, in the end, the document was returned to the ex-president, and he went to the Pechersk District Court.

Before returning to Kiev, the politician wrote on his Twitter that he had decided to return to the country in order to continue the "fight for Ukraine."

Turning to Kiev to continue the fight for Ukraine ✊ pic.twitter.com/2j44pfvC4o

— Petro Poroshenko (@poroshenko) January 17, 2022

During the court session, Poroshenko accused the prosecutors of "brutal violations", focusing on the fact that he was allegedly not handed any official documents on suspicion of committing a crime.

However, according to the investigators of the SBI, the entourage of the fifth president of Ukraine "artificially created the prerequisites in order to prevent the investigators from carrying out their lawful actions."

In court, the former president of Ukraine said that the case against him was falsified, and that the criminal prosecution was an attempt by the current head of state, Volodymyr Zelensky, to remove his political rival. 

In part, his words were indirectly confirmed by an RT source in Zelensky’s office, who said that the president’s entourage “hates Poroshenko.”

“The fifth president is an experienced politician who made a real show out of his return to Ukraine.

After all, they could not serve him a subpoena at the airport in Kiev, Poroshenko has experienced lawyers and connections in the West.

So far, this whole situation has a bad effect on Zelensky’s image - Western countries are closely watching the process, and Poroshenko’s electorate has mobilized in Ukraine, ”the RT interlocutor explained.

In turn, an RT source in the Servant of the People party believes that businessman Igor Kolomoisky, who has “personal scores with Poroshenko,” still has a great influence on Zelensky, and this was one of the reasons for the criminal prosecution of the former president.

“We must not forget that the rating of Poroshenko and European Solidarity is growing, and Zelensky may very well lose the next election.

And then they can pursue him.

So Zelensky has many reasons to seek at least house arrest for Poroshenko, at least try to remove him from the political field of Ukraine,” the source said, adding that the whole situation around the ex-president “turned into a circus.”

After allegations of falsification of the criminal prosecution, Poroshenko turned to the judge with a request to satisfy the defense's petition and return the demand to the prosecutor's office to select a measure of restraint for him.

However, the presiding judge Aleksey Sokolov decided to “deny the application filed”.

After that, the prosecution asked the court to arrest the ex-president of Ukraine for two months with the possibility of making bail in the amount of 1 billion hryvnia (about $35.7 million). 

• Poroshenko

According to the press secretary of the presidential party Servant of the People, Yulia Paliychuk, Poroshenko tried to create an artificial scandal and earn political dividends from it.

In turn, the Kremlin reported that they were not following the development of these events.

“He is in opposition.

But this is not a question for us to follow closely," Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

- In general, now Zelensky's political opponents are having a hard time in Ukraine.

It is obvious.

We fix it."

Poroshenko's position

Before flying to Kiev, Poroshenko gave an interview to the Ukrainian Internet publication Levy Bereg, in which he stated that he would not allow himself to be put behind bars.

“First, I won’t sit down.

Second, I will not allow myself to be imprisoned.

I will act as efficiently as possible in order to protect Ukraine.

Defending myself, I am firmly convinced that I am defending Ukraine, ”he said.

Poroshenko also stressed that he would like "more adequacy in the actions of the authorities."

“And adequacy is not that he (Zelensky.

) holds more or less meetings regarding my arrival - that's his business.

If the same efforts were made to counter Russia, it would be more useful, ”said the ex-president.

After that, the politician switched to the topic of Russia, saying that he and his team are ready to provide all the experience and all the information in order to "effectively repel the aggressor."

“If the authorities do not want to convene the Verkhovna Rada, convene the National Security and Defense Council with the heads of the factions.

If the authorities do not want to assemble the National Security and Defense Council, I am ready to take Mr. Zelensky by the hand and lead him to unite society, in order to increase the effectiveness of actions against Putin,” the Ukrainian ex-leader said.

At the same time, Poroshenko called the President of Russia his "enemy", and Zelensky - "just an opponent."

Then the ex-president of Ukraine remembered the reason why he was expected in Kiev, and denied all accusations against him.

Recall that in December 2021, the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine presented Poroshenko with suspicion in a criminal case related to “organizing a criminal scheme for supplying coal from temporarily occupied territories and assisting terrorist organizations in the LPR and DPR by a group of Ukrainian citizens for a total amount of about 1.5 billion hryvnias.”

However, according to the politician, together with his defenders, he is ready to demonstrate to the public “the absolute worthlessness of the accusation.

Not even worthlessness, but its absence.

As the former leader of Ukraine said, he did "nothing outside the presidential powers, outside the provision of energy security."

“Neither with Medvedchuk (the head of the political council of the Opposition Platform - For Life party.

), nor with anyone else.

So why the hell am I supposed to comment on activities that I have nothing to do with?”

Poroshenko said.

"Putted a real show"

Viktor Medvedchuk, ex-Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn, and coal businessman Serhiy Kuzyara are also involved in the same criminal case.

Earlier, the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine stated that the fifth president of Ukraine is suspected of facilitating the activities of the LPR and DPR, as well as buying coal at the expense of state funds in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which, according to the investigation, “made the energy sector dependent” on Russia and provided the Russian Federation "broader opportunities for further interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine."

Under these articles, Poroshenko faces up to 15 years in prison.

• Symbols of the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine

• © RIA Novosti / Stringer

After the suspicions raised against him, Poroshenko left Ukraine and went on a diplomatic tour to Turkey and Poland.

In early January 2022, the Kiev Pechersk Court granted the prosecutor's request and seized the ex-president's property and assets.

According to an RT source in the European Solidarity party, in order to defend himself against the accusations against him, Poroshenko chose a strategy to discredit the current president of Ukraine.

“Poroshenko emphasizes that Zelensky is allegedly trying to avoid sharp corners and does not make loud statements about Russia.

He tells his voters about this, hinting that Zelensky will not always be president and, most likely, will return to business in which the Russian market is very interesting to him, ”said the RT interlocutor.

In turn, an RT source in the Ukrainian cabinet of ministers recalled that the ex-president spent a lot of time and effort on creating hatred for Russia and personally Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, and now he accuses Zelensky of not doing the same .

“Poroshenko apparently believes that such accusations will hit the rating of the incumbent president.

He defends himself in every possible way and, I must say, he does it well, ”the official believes.

"Obviously not afraid"

According to the director of the Kiev Center for Political Studies and Conflict Studies, Mikhail Pogrebinsky, Poroshenko returned to Kiev, despite suspicions of treason, because he “has security guarantees from Western countries,” which promised to protect him.

“We are talking about the American embassy, ​​among other things.

Poroshenko is clearly not afraid of other charges, such as corruption, as he has secured the support of the West, including the United States.

If the United States Embassy defends Poroshenko, then no other claims will be brought against him, ”the expert noted.

• Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko

• © AP Photo/Mikhail Palinchak

As Pogrebinsky explained, Poroshenko does not want to leave Ukraine, because he intends to remain in politics and not give up those assets that he has left in the country.

“He hasn’t taken them offshore yet.

If Poroshenko leaves, he may lose a lot of money, and his faction will shrink,” the analyst stated.

In turn, Sergey Margulis, lecturer at the Department of International Politics and Foreign Regional Studies at the Institute of Social Sciences of the RANEPA, noted that Poroshenko hopes to take part in the upcoming elections and by his return to Ukraine, as well as by appearing in court, is trying to demonstrate to the electorate his readiness to fight for power.

“Now he will consolidate his supporters and opponents of Zelensky, by all means show that the current government is not capable of giving the Ukrainian state anything good.

At the same time, Poroshenko’s offer to Zelensky to help him in opposing the Russian Federation and Putin has notes of some sycophancy and a desire to somehow get out of the situation related to the charges against him, ”said the RT interlocutor.

At the same time, Margulis believes that the case may well reach a real deadline for Poroshenko.

“After all, this is Zelensky’s main political competitor, to eliminate which the incumbent president will do everything possible,” the analyst concluded.