The Poroshenko Affair: A Show That Cuts Its Own Maker

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Petro Poroshenko’s lawyer, Ilya Novikov, called the “sanctions” against the former president a “marker” of the country’s state. I would go further: they are a symbol of Ukraine moving in the wrong direction.

The same trend is reflected in sociological surveys: about 55% of Ukrainians now believe the country is going “in the wrong direction.” This indicator had previously fluctuated around ±5%, and now it has broken out of that range.

There are clear reasons for this. The main problems cited by respondents are corruption and the standard of living. These are the issues voters will bring up with politicians during elections—unless, of course, public exhaustion reaches a point where people focus on other concerns. But that is a topic for another discussion.

It appears that the OP (“collective Zelenskyy”) decided to “preventively” (c) throw a “bone” to the electorate. The repressions against Poroshenko were intended to signal both a “fight against the elite” and a “divide-and-rule” strategy, alongside other stereotypes cultivated by the marketing models of the “quarter.” At the same time, Poroshenko could be removed from the race. Back in January 2014, his rating had already been painted as “on the verge of single digits.” We know how that ended.

distraction from real problems, while another third see them as a crackdown on a political opponent. By the way, the majority of respondents acknowledge that there is pressure on the opposition.

It seems that, before his fall, the tailor completely lost his sense of judgment. He decided to play the “sanctions” game—and ended up fooling no one.

Then there is Pronin, used as a “signatory” on a document that had nothing to do with his powers or the functions of the State Financial Monitoring Service.

Young government officials, promoted recently, are also involved—but these rewards will soon turn bitter, because effective governance requires both skill and accountability.

Meanwhile, OP officials who retrospectively falsified documents after the President signed them put the Supreme Court in an impossible position. To approve these falsified papers would mean admitting that any clerk can overrule the Head of State after a decision has been made. This is pure chaos.

Deciding according to the law—especially given the Supreme Court’s previous annulment of sanctions due to irrelevant data—would deeply upset the OP. But such “upset” is inevitable, as new details emerge with every meeting.

And then there is the falsification of documents, the lies, and the so-called “financial abuses” that are conveniently left unmentioned. Add to that the sudden arbitrariness of “preventive” sanctions applied without grounds against a Ukrainian citizen whom only Russia labels a terrorist.

Above all, he deceived Zelenskyy. Over 80% of Ukrainians hold him responsible for everything happening in the country.

People are watching. More and more people realize that the authorities are shameless, incompetent, and unrestrained. Citizens dislike such leaders because they do not bring security or prosperity—instead, they bring danger, poverty, and outright theft.

In short, the series “based on Portnov’s fantasies” is backfiring on its own organizers and producers. It is no surprise that only 25% would like to see Zelenskyy as president in the future, and the majority advises against his running post-war.

The sky-high “trust” ratings should not lead to complacency—this is a wartime situation. All indirect signs suggest that Zelenskyy’s core support is hovering around ±25%, and that’s for now.

Now the OP faces a choice between bad and worse. It can continue insisting on the “sanctions,” dragging out the process and accumulating criticism from the West, risking problems with aid, the derailment of European integration, and a flood of devastating memes after every court hearing and clumsy speeches by government representatives.

Or it can cancel the sanctions—perhaps by appointing scapegoats who “framed the president.” Fortunately, there are plenty of people within and around the OP who can be sacrificed. Alternatively, it could allow the court to make a legal decision and end the sanctions that way, as has already happened in some cases, once even due to irrelevant data, exactly what the OP itself admitted and now tries to cover up in court.

The OP, accustomed to taking the wrong turn at every opportunity, is clinging to the first scenario, sinking ever deeper into the mud… The opening theme of the next episode is already playing.

And the bulldozer keeps crawling. There’s no stopping it. Even the TV series are turning against their authors.

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