“Poroshenko deliberately leaked the election date”: a response to sanctions or the start of the election campaign
18 February 2025 08:18
Ukrainian politics is once again in turmoil: the fifth president of Ukraine, the leader of the European Solidarity party, Petro Poroshenko, has said that the government is preparing to hold elections on October 26 this year. This statement was made in an interview with Censor.net and immediately caused a wide public outcry. At the same time, the Servant of the People party denied Poroshenko’s statement, saying that elections are impossible during martial law. David Arakhamia reminded that according to the agreement between the faction leaders, elections can be held no earlier than six months after the end of martial law. Are the authorities really preparing for elections, or is it just a political maneuver? Was Petro Poroshenko’s statement about the October 26 elections accidental or a deliberate step in the pre-election game? Are there any risks to the country’s stability? There are more questions than answers, but one thing is clear: the political season of 2024 will be hot. Read more in the
Poroshenko announced the election date for a reason
Valeriy Klochok, head of the Center for Public Analysis “Tower”, in an exclusive commentary
“Many high-level politicians know this date. It logically fits into the chronology of the end of the hot phase of the war. And if we take into account the sanctions against Poroshenko, we can assume that he decided to make a retaliatory move. But not anonymously, but directly – as a person who has sources in various structures, including government departments and Zelenskyy’s team. This was done consciously and in the wake of the recent decision to seize his accounts,” said Valeriy Klochok.
He also drew attention to the way Poroshenko’s image is presented in the media. In his opinion, the fifth president’s recent interviews with the leading Ukrainian media look like image materials that form a positive perception of the politician before the election cycle.
“The interviews in Censor and Ukrayinska Pravda are not just conversations. These are very complimentary, well thought out materials. They look like part of an information campaign to improve Poroshenko’s image,” emphasized Klochok.
According to Klochok, Poroshenko has actually started his election campaign, although he does not officially recognize it. The political analyst drew attention to his activity in Europe, frequent meetings with international partners and statements that “elections in the conditions of war are impossible.”
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“Yes, he says there can be no elections. But at the same time, he is constantly present in the media as a possible presidential candidate. And there is an important nuance here – European Solidarity will definitely nominate its candidate, and this candidate is unalterable to Poroshenko. This is his party, his team, and the decision is up to him. So, in my opinion, we are already seeing the beginning of his election campaign,” Klochok summarized.
What does Zelensky’s team say?
Thehead ofthe Serv antof the People faction, David Arakhamia, emphasized that elections during martial law are impossible and recalled the current agreement between parliamentary factions.
“Talks about elections have started again. This is not the first time during the war. Therefore, I emphasize once again: first, elections during martial law are impossible. Secondly, within the framework of the Jean Monnet Dialogue, the leaders of all factions and groups have agreed that elections will be held no earlier than six months after the end of martial law,” Arakhamia said.
He also advised all participants in the political process to carefully read this document again to avoid manipulations and misunderstandings.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was ready to discuss the elections, but there are risks.
“I am focused on ensuring that our country survives. I have been doing this throughout my entire term… I am ready to talk about the elections, but Ukrainians categorically do not want this, because they are afraid that otherwise we will lose martial law, our soldiers will return home, and Putin will occupy all our territory. This will happen. That is why we are now mobilized. Now we are a single organism and, therefore, one country,” Zelensky said.
The President emphasized that it is important for him to preserve the unity of the state, as it is the key to preserving the country’s independence and future.
Poroshenko claims blackmail by the Presidential Office
Former President of Ukraine and MP Petro Poroshenko said that the Presidential Office offered him to support the draft law on the Khmelnytsky NPP in exchange for not imposing sanctions. He said this in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda. According to Poroshenko, his answer was categorical: the European Solidarity faction would vote against it.
“In fact, the attack on me was because we fundamentally demanded sanctions against Portnov, because we fundamentally demanded and are now demanding the withdrawal of mandates from the OPFL party, because we demand to stop the transit of Russian oil through the territory of Ukraine,” Poroshenko said.
Commenting on the sanctions, Poroshenko himself emphasized that it was not just a personal blow to him, but a serious blow to Ukraine’s image.
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“I would like to avoid the position of ‘What does this mean for Poroshenko personally? Poroshenko will survive. There are, of course, a number of things that cause trouble. For example, I can’t buy coffee at a gas station because my cards are blocked, my accounts are blocked, my assets are seized,” Poroshenko said.
At the same time, Poroshenko emphasized that the main thing is not personal discomfort, but legal consequences for the state.
Let me remind you that the sanctions scandal was accompanied by another embarrassment. The National Security and Defense Council made a mistake in the document on sanctions against Poroshenko, so they had to make corrections to the text.
Such inaccuracies could have complicated the implementation of sanctions and given grounds for their cancellation in court, says in an exclusive commentary
“If false personal data of an individual is included in the sanctions list, his or her lawyer may use this fact to appeal the Presidential Decree in order to cancel the relevant sanctions,” said Andriy Shabelnikov.
Thus, the sanctions strike against Poroshenko risks turning into a serious international and legal scandal, as well as an internal split in the government.
Thus, the political landscape of Ukraine is rapidly heating up, and Petro Poroshenko’s statement on the October 26 elections has only added fuel to the fire. The authorities deny any possibility of holding elections under martial law, but Poroshenko’s media activity, growing international support, and the sanctions scandal may indicate the beginning of an election campaign.
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