Baku / 19.04.19 / Turan: On April 21, Ukraine will host the second round of presidential elections. The election headquarters of the current head of state, Petro Poroshenko, and his opponent, Vladimir Zelensky, are actively working, using all means to raise the rating of their candidate. Russian state-run television channels openly support Zelensky, belittling Poroshenko, effectively calling on Ukrainians to vote for their opponent. In Azerbaijan, viewers watch Russian TV channels, shaping their attitude towards Ukrainian events.
Turan asked Vadim Tryukhan, a Ukrainian political scientist, Ukrainian public figure, scholar and diplomat who is well known in Azerbaijan for his participation in the Russian talk shows.
- Is it possible to talk about Zelensky, as the next president of Ukraine, or does Poroshenko have opportunities to defeat him on April 21?
- Only, some incredible force majeure can thwart the victory in the presidential election and the further assumption of office by Vladimir Zelensky. Recent sociological polls showed an unprecedented gap for Ukraine - more than two times, between candidates, not in favor of the current president. However, you need to wait for official results. In Ukraine, voters always decide everything, but the fifth part of the people is still undecided.
- What is the secret of Zelensky? After all, he is not a politician, not a political scientist, not an activist, but a comedian. Donald Trump, who won the election in America, at least wrote two best-selling books on economics, but how can Zelensky be interesting for the Ukrainians?
- Many factors came together. First, Ukrainians are disappointed with traditional politicians. Secondly, Zelensky"s election campaign was unexpectedly successful. He used the latest technology, a minimum of black PR, managed to avoid sharp topics dividing different regions of the country and gave society hope for a better future. One slogan "choose between past and future" is worth something.
Thirdly, Petro Poroshenko chose an erroneous campaign strategy, calling those voters who did not support him with all imaginable and inconceivable negative epithets, such as "Putin"s supporters" or "cattle". This approach only angered people, pushed them away from the current president. In addition, the entire black PR that was used against Zelensky only worked for Zelensky. People did not see any serious problems in the biography of Zelensky. He was not involved either in corruption or in the theft of state property, or in any human weaknesses. An exemplary family man, a successful businessperson, beloved by many actor. All these factors made him, for many, unexpectedly, the favorite of most Ukrainians.
- What kind of president will Zelensky become is to believe his promises and reality?" What will change in Ukraine and relations with the Russian Federation, the EU, and Azerbaijan?
- For many, Zelensky remains a mystery. Indeed, on many issues of foreign and domestic policy, he tries to avoid specifics. Nevertheless, judging by his latest interviews and public statements on TV in basic directions, the position of this politician has already been formulated.
The first priority for him is a cease-fire in the east of Ukraine. He will not trade in independence and sovereignty. It can be assumed that it will not be easy for him to find the right formula for communication with Russia. However, there is already a feeling that he will cope. On his side, there is no tough opposition from the Kremlin, which is observed in relation to Petro Poroshenko.
The EU and NATO are the main directions of foreign policy. Vladimir Zelensky clearly stated that Ukraine would move in the direction of these organizations. At the same time, he promised to hold a referendum in order to enlist the support of the whole society when the issue of joining NATO is on the agenda.
In addition to the EU and NATO, the position regarding interaction with other countries has not been sounded. Based on comments from members of his team, it can be concluded that the work will be carried out seriously. I think relations between Ukraine and Azerbaijan should be activated, especially in the energy sector, in connection with the decision of the Russian government to stop the supply of petroleum products to Ukraine.
For Ukraine, the question of joining the EU and NATO is a matter of survival. Therefore, whoever becomes the next president will have to make serious adjustments to the institutional mechanism for ensuring the execution of this task, as well as to improve personnel policy. In addition, we must not forget that in order to move forward, it is necessary to show success in domestic policy - anti-corruption activities, economic development, etc. The problem is that Ukraine is a parliamentary-presidential republic by form of government. The president alone cannot prepare the country for joining NATO or the EU. This is by 90%, if not more, the task of the government and the parliament. -0-
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