You're reading: Tymoshenko denies support to Zelensky, Poroshenko in 2nd round of Ukraine’s presidential election

Batkivschyna Party leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who ran in the March 31 first round of Ukraine’s presidential election, has said she believes that neither Volodymyr Zelensky nor Petro Poroshenko, who have gone forward to the second-round run-off, can cope with the problems Ukraine is facing today.

“The country is in crisis. It is embroiled in war. It is in economic ruins and is facing extreme poverty. Its government institutions have been destroyed. Ukraine is facing very serious challenges. Ukraine is in great trouble. And I think that neither of the candidates in the second round on the decision of the CEC [Central Election Commission] can cope with these challenges and end the war or resolve these problems,” Tymoshenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.

“Therefore, I can’t assume responsibility for any advice now,” she said.

Tymoshenko said that her team will focus on averting any falsifications during the second round of the presidential election.

Once it became clear that Zelensky and incumbent President Poroshenko would compete in the second-round run-off, experts suggested that Zelensky could win the second round if he gained Tymoshenko’s support. However, Zelensky and Tymoshenko immediately said that they were not holding any talks on consolidating their efforts.

Zelensky said that no negotiations with Tymoshenko and her campaign staff were underway when asked after the first round’s completion on March 31 whether he could confirm reports that Tymoshenko was allegedly ready to support him in the second round if their two political forces formed a coalition following the parliamentary election.