Ukraine’s opposition leader Petro Poroshenko has launched serious accusations against President Volodymyr Zelensky in a recent interview. He claimed Zelensky is taking action against political opponents and putting Ukraine’s democracy and independence at risk. Autocratic practices are increasingly spreading,
Poroshenko warned in remarks to the U.S. outlet Politico. “While we fight against Russian autocracy, we cannot allow ourselves to fall into autocratic practices at home (…)”. Poroshenko served as Ukraine’s president from 2014 to 2019, and his rivalry with Zelensky is well-known.
During the election campaign six years ago, both leaders engaged in heated confrontations. The opposition leader now accuses Zelensky of weaponizing law-enforcement agencies.
As an example of political influence, he pointed to the indictment of former energy executive Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, who had criticized Zelensky’s handling of the energy sector. The Ukrainian government accuses Kudrytskyi of treason and corruption. He has already been hit with multiple sanctions, including a travel ban and restrictions on participating in parliamentary sessions — measures that could prevent him from running in future elections.
