Fifth President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated that he is not afraid of destabilization in the country, but believes chaos could occur if the current authorities try to stay in power by manipulating the electoral process. He said this in an interview with journalist Vitalii Portnikov on the “Espreso” channel.
Source: Bukvy
Responding to questions about potential risks of destabilization ahead of the elections and Russia’s possible use of the situation, Poroshenko emphasized that the threat comes not only from outside.
“I am not afraid of destabilization. Chaos is possible only in one case – if the current authorities pretend that nothing is happening,” he said.
According to Poroshenko, attempts to distract public attention with international scandals or by using electoral technologies – electronic voting, mail-in voting, discrediting elections, or preventing opponents from participating – could lead directly to a political crisis.
The fifth president stressed that due to the sanctions imposed against him, he is effectively barred from participating in the elections.
“Because of the sanctions, I am prohibited from taking part in the elections. No one will recognize such elections,” Poroshenko stated.
He also linked the risks of destabilization to the so-called “Mindichgate,” noting that most of the public is already informed about the case.
“90% of the public know about Mindichgate, over 50% know the details, and 77% can name specific individuals,” Poroshenko said, declining to mention the names on air.
Commenting on the sanctions against him, Poroshenko said he is the only sanctioned politician for whom they actually block participation in the political process.
“I am prohibited from signing documents, executing legal acts – practically everything. These sanctions are unconstitutional, extrajudicial, and illegal,” he emphasized.
According to Poroshenko, the illegality of the sanctions has already been recognized internationally – including by rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, the European Parliament, the European Council, the European Commission, and the Council of Europe.
“This is shooting oneself in the foot. The authorities need to find a way to exit this extremely dangerous process while saving face,” the fifth president said.
He also drew attention to the conditions of financial assistance to Ukraine from the EU, specifically the allocation of €90 billion.
“There are clear requirements: effective anti-corruption efforts, independence of anti-corruption bodies, rule of law, independent courts, human rights, freedom of the media, rights of the opposition and civil society organizations. If these are violated – there will be no money,” Poroshenko concluded.