Poroshenko explained the threat of populism during war in Vilnius
Populism during wartime becomes a huge threat to national security – Petro Poroshenko said this in Vilnius during a speech at the congress of Lithuania’s largest party, the Fatherland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats.
This was reported by the press service of “European Solidarity” .
“Populism always offers simple answers to complex questions, quick solutions where strategy is needed, convenient illusions where inconvenient truth is needed. Today, populists are telling Europeans: ‘Ukraine is too expensive. We need to wait. We can just make an agreement with Putin and everything will stop. Security can be achieved for nothing, and Europe can spend less on defense. We can,’ populists say, ‘return to business as usual.’ This is an absolutely dangerous illusion,” warns the fifth President.
He noted that Ukraine will be the first to pay the price for this, but certainly not the last, because if Russia succeeds in Ukraine, it will not become less aggressive, it will become even more arrogant and self-confident.
“Thanks to populism, you can win an election campaign, but thanks to populism, it is impossible to win a war. In peacetime, populism can destroy the budget, but during war it is capable of destroying the very ability of the state to act. Because war requires difficult decisions, responsibility, strong institutions, professionalism, and courage to tell people the truth in their faces. Ukrainian society demonstrates an extraordinary ability to self-organize. Populism is overcome by responsibility, and war is won by unity,” Poroshenko believes.
According to the fifth president, this is why it is proposed to create a coalition of national unity and a government of national unity in Ukraine within several years.
“Not for the sake of distributing positions – for the sake of distributing responsibilities. It is much more convenient for the opposition to stay away, criticize the government’s mistakes, avoid unpopular votes, and wait for the next elections. But we do not want to be a “convenient” opposition in a country that is fighting for its survival,” Poroshenko said.
He added that during World War II, the British Conservatives and Labour remained political rivals but worked together in the same government.
“Because victory was more important than party interests. And let me state absolutely clearly: the coalition of national unity is not a coalition against the President. It is a coalition against Putin,” the opposition leader emphasized.
Poroshenko noted that he wants to be very clear about the elections: free and fair elections under martial law are simply impossible. We are not asking our European partners to support the Ukrainian opposition against the Ukrainian government.
“We ask to support European rules: independent anti-corruption institutions, freedom of speech, a strong parliament, local self-government, political pluralism, the right of the opposition to demand accountability of the government, and an independent judiciary. This is cluster number one for Ukraine’s status as a candidate. Democracy during war is not a luxury. This is one of our lines of defense,” he said.
The leader of Eurosolidarity emphasized that he supports the government where decisions are necessary for the defense of Ukraine, and says “no” when it comes to corruption, the destruction of institutions, attacks on democracy, or strategic mistakes.
“Constructive opposition does not mean silent opposition. Silence is not a form of patriotism. Patriotism means the ability to support the correct decision of a political competitor, but at the same time have the courage to stop the wrong one. Because during war, government mistakes are not paid for with ratings. Mistakes are paid for with lives,” Poroshenko concluded.
Earlier, during a speech at the congress of Lithuania’s largest party, the Fatherland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, in Vilnius, Petro Poroshenko stated that the first task of negotiations to end Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine should be a ceasefire.
By the way, during a speech at the congress of Lithuania’s largest party, the Fatherland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, in Vilnius, Petro Poroshenko stated that Ukraine has entered a new phase of the war , when the aggressor is trying to destroy the economy and civilian life in the rear, primarily in the capital.
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