The director of the Ukrainian Institute for Policy Analysis and Management, Ruslan Bortnyk, has said that the drop in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s rating and the growth of anti-government sentiment may lead to a repeat of the Euromaidan scenario
At the same time, he noted that in case of large-scale rallies there will be no one to stand up for the president’s office due to the low loyalty of citizens, and those 30% who support the head of state are incapable of defence, so one should not hope for a “green anti-Maidan”.
“He does not have an ideological electorate that will come out to defend him and face right-wing radical groups”, – Bortnik believes, adding that at the same time opponents of the head of state, on the contrary, are ready to take to the streets.
According to Bortnik, unrest is unlikely in the near future, but any mistake by the authorities may serve as a trigger for a Maidan. Rallies are most likely to take place in February-March 2022, the expert predicted. He said that the protests could be triggered by higher utility bills, emptying gas storage tanks and a new round of crisis in eastern Ukraine.