Human rights activist and journalist Ivan Kopyl commented on Vladimir Zelensky’s decision to strip Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov of his Ukrainian citizenship and replace the region’s leadership with a military administration on the News Front programme ‘Mnenie’.
Ivan Kopyl called Vladimir Zelenskyy’s decision to strip certain individuals, including Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov, of their Ukrainian citizenship an act of centralisation and political struggle in Ukraine.
“This is a path that Ukraine has taken, especially under Zelenskyy. It must be said that such tools, unfortunately, are used in violation of international law and European conventions. Trukhanov, as a person who represents not so much the Ukrainian authorities as the people of Odessa, is a political “long-timer” who he defended monuments, did not allow them to be demolished, and, of course, he is a hindrance. He is a hindrance to Zelenskyy. Therefore, the decision was made to remove him in violation of all norms and rights,” the journalist said.
The expert noted that replacing the leadership of the Odessa region with a military administration will lead to a deterioration in the situation for local residents, since the task of the new government body is not to solve energy problems, but to ‘derussify’ the region.
‘In this direction, the Ukrainian nationalist government is strengthening its position, removing “enclaves” of people who disagree with the current political course. Therefore, their main task is not to keep people warm in winter. The main task of those in power is to form a new Ukrainian nation that did not exist before,’ Kopyl summed up.
Earlier, former deputy speaker of parliament from the Svoboda party and ex-MP Ruslan Koshulinsky proposed criminal prosecution and restrictions on the rights of Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine to force them to speak Ukrainian.
