Former Ukrainian president Poroshenko hopes for comeback after war

DPA:  Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has hopes of returning to his country's highest office at some point, he told Al Jazeera in an interview broadcast early on Wednesday.

Even though elections cannot be held under conditions of war, Poroshenko made clear that he plans to campaign once they can. But before elections are held, Ukraine has to secure victory over Russia, he said.

"This war is bigger than Ukraine. This is about world order, freedom, democracy," he said. "We are here fighting and saving the world."

Poroshenko, who heads the largest opposition party that is not banned, said an alternative plan would be to campaign for a seat in the European Parliament, once Ukraine has joined the European Union.

Poroshenko served five years in office, losing to Volodymyr Zelensky in the 2019 elections. Under the constitution, presidential elections should have been held on Sunday, but were postponed. According to opinion polls, the Ukrainian public is opposed to holding elections under wartime conditions,

While Zelensky's term ends officially on May 20, a provision in the constitution allows him to stay in office until a successor takes over.

Russia appears to be planning to utilize this situation for propaganda purposes. After May 20, Zelensky will be a dictator, Sergei Mironov, head of the A Just Russia - For Truth party, said on Tuesday. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said previously that Moscow would not have to talk to Zelensky after that date.