DONALD TUSK MADE A STATEMENT ON POROSHENKO’S POLITICAL PERSECUTION

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The President of the European People’s Party, former President of the European Council Donald Tusk, during a conference call with the fifth President Petro Poroshenko on the occasion of the third anniversary of the visa-free regime, signaled the current leadership of Ukraine to respect political opponents and respect democracy and the rule of law.

“You have to show respect – and this is a signal to current political leaders – first of all to democratic standards and legitimacy, solidarity with your opponents, if you want to build a modern, democratic state. I am convinced that at least for some it is clear what I mean,” – Donald Tusk emphasized.

He also noted the huge role of the fifth president Poroshenko in the European reform of Ukraine. “Your presidential term at the head of your country was the best example in our common history. An example of political leadership of the highest quality. And this is my role today – to convince my partners in Europe to continue what we have started together and what we have achieved in Ukraine and the European Union. I can repeat that you can count on me. I will do my best to convince my partners in Brussels and among European capitals to continue our path, the pro-European path in Kyiv,” Tusk said.

As known, a number of world politicians have already responded to the political persecution of Petro Poroshenko. In particular, the former Prime Minister of Sweden, Carl Bildt, stated that such repressions are unacceptable. “Is Zelenskyi preparing to go down the Yanukovich route and imprison political opponent Poroshenko? If that happens EUneighbours should recommend measures to take. This issue goes to the hearth of the relationship,” Carl Bildt wrote on Twitter.

The former special envoy of the State Department for Ukraine advised Volodymyr Zelenskyi to focus on building national unity against the background of Russian aggression, and not to organize political persecution. “With everyone guilty of something, the choice of whom to prosecute is a political decision. A better decision: build national unity in face of Russian aggression in Donbas and Crimea, as Zelenskyi said in August 24 speech,” Kurt Walker wrote.

MEP Petras Austrevicius, an influential Lithuanian politician, also warned the Zelenskyi administration against persecuting Poroshenko. “The Association agreement obliges Ukraine to fully adhere to the rule of law and other fundamental principles. There cannot be any politically motivated prosecutions,” Austrevicius said.

Influential Canadian diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Ukraine in 2014-2019 Roman Vashchuk wrote on Twitter: ” Plans to lock up Poroshenko were already afoot in mid-2019, pitched by Portnov/Kolomoisky emissaries bent on (a) vengeance for economic and reputational losses and (b) political benefit, given negative public perceptions of Poro their media had helped create. I told them then, and continue to believe: cleaning up corruption in a predecessor’s entourage is good and necessary, while an overtly political vendetta to take down a major, familiar partner for Western efforts of the past 5 years would be a strategic mistake and backfire badly,” Roman Vashchuk emphasizes.

We will remind that the European Solidarity faction is absolutely convinced that Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova has received a clear instruction from President Volodymyr Zelenskyi to persecute the opposition.

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