Former US ambassador to Ukraine Stephen Pifer, believes that the criminal proceedings, which are now open against ex-president Poroshenko, do not play into the hands of the current head of state. According to him, this jeopardizes the image of Ukraine on the world stage and is also a manifestation of “stupid politics”. Pifer said this in a comment to the Atlantic Council.
So, the diplomat said that holding former presidents accountable without convincing evidence of their guilt is a bad idea, not taking into account the fact that there is enough evidence.
“There is strong evidence that Yanukovych caused serious damage to the Ukrainian state,” he said. – Poroshenko is not the case. Poroshenko’s persecution threatens one of Kiev’s key assets, namely Ukraine’s reputation as a democratic state. Does President Zelensky want his government to be known for harassing a presidential candidate who has lost the election on dubious charges? This has already happened in Ukraine when Yanukovych imprisoned Yulia Tymoshenko after a fictitious trial. ”
According to him, Poroshenko’s case “not only makes Zelensky and the Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova doubt democratic, but is also a stupid politician.”
“The Zelensky Party“ Servant of the People ” won the majority of seats in parliament, but in recent months has noticeably split. Zelensky needed votes from Poroshenko’s European Solidarity Party to pass key laws, including banking legislation, necessary to meet IMF preconditions to receive a tranche. In the future, he may need these voices again, ”Pifer openly hinted.