Zelenskyy’s political opponents respond to reports of secret talks with Trump’s team
Pravda Ukraine
Yuliia Tymoshenko, leader of Ukraine’s Batkivshchyna party, and Petro Poroshenko, former Ukrainian president and leader of Ukraine’s European Solidarity party, have commented on a Politico report alleging that they held secret talks with members of US President Donald Trump’s team. Both politicians stated that they are opposed to elections being held before peace is achieved.
Source: Tymoshenko on Facebook; Poroshenko on Facebook
Quote from Tymoshenko: “Ukraine, as President Zelenskyy has clearly stated, is ready for negotiations to end the war under strong leadership from President Trump.
The Batkivshchyna team holds talks with all our allies who can help ensure a just peace as soon as possible.”
Details: Tymoshenko said “holding any elections in Ukraine is out of the question” until the war is over.
Poroshenko stated in his post that his party is working publicly and transparently with American partners to maintain bipartisan support for Ukraine.
“We have repeatedly offered to coordinate these meetings with the authorities, even suggesting inviting the ambassador. We have also repeatedly stated publicly that there is a lack of communication between the government team and the US administration, which poses a risk to the state,” Poroshenko noted.
Poroshenko said that discussions with American representatives have always centred around two principles: security first and peace through strength. They have covered weapons, intelligence, sanctions against Russia, financial support, democratic resilience (freedom and democracy) and transatlantic unity.
Quote from Poroshenko: “Our team has always been and remains categorically against elections during the war. Unlike the authorities, who divert funds from the army and try to buy votes while also using unconstitutional and extrajudicial sanctions to eliminate their political opponents – this amounts to politically motivated persecution and pre-election preparations.
We have said and we continue to say that elections are only possible after a ceasefire and the signing of a peace agreement with security guarantees for Ukraine. After that, martial law will obviously end, and no later than 180 days thereafter, free and democratic elections must take place in the country to ensure the citizens’ will and the trust of the free world.”
Background: Politico has reported that four senior associates of US President Donald Trump held secret talks with Yuliia Tymoshenko and Petro Poroshenko at a time when Washington and Moscow were aligning in their efforts to remove President Zelenskyy from office.
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