National unity
Both Poroshenko and Zelenskyy stayed at the same hotel during the Munich Security Conference last week — but their paths didn’t cross.
“I have only spoken with him three times the past seven years,” Poroshenko said. The last time was more than a year ago and “we discussed his so-called victory plan and I told him not to worry and that we would back it as he’s the commander-in-chief. Unfortunately, that was last time we spoke,” he said.
Poroshenko and Zelenskyy harbor deep animosity toward each other and traded fierce barbs during the 2019 election campaign. Nevertheless, Zelenskyy won by a landslide after saying he could settle the conflict with Russia through direct talks with Putin, and by reaching out to young voters via social networks with great success.
Ukrainian prosecutors, appointed by Zelenskyy, then ensnared Poroshenko in the courts, charging him with serious crimes, including treason, conspiracy and corruption. Poroshenko says all the charges are trumped up, and he’s confident that on March 6, the country’s Supreme Court will rule them illegal and unconstitutional.
Following a series of recent corruption scandals that have forced the departure of Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, and amid growing criticism of democratic backsliding, Ukraine’s politics have become increasingly fragile, he argued.
Now, Zelenskyy is facing a parliamentary crisis, with more than 20 of his Servant of the People lawmakers under investigation for taking bribes to secure votes, which could deprive the president of a parliamentary majority.
“Parliament is now in the very deep crisis,” Poroshenko said. “And because of that, he will have no option but to form a government of national unity. I do not put forward any precondition. I don’t need any position in the government, but it is becoming a question of whether Ukraine will survive or not.”