Over 73 percent of Ukrainian voters supported Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the April 21 runoff election. That indicates that society’s expectations for the new Ukrainian president are high.
But it also sets a high hurdle for Zelenskiy, and he must implement the reforms he has promised in order not to undermine his own credibility, says United States Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker.
Volker was part of the United States’ delegation to Zelenskiy’s inauguration on May 20. The Americans were “very impressed with President Zelenskiy’s stated commitment to (reforms) in Ukraine, fighting corruption, creating the Ukrainian leadership that serves the interests of the people of Ukraine,” the envoy said during a May 28 online press briefing at the Brussels Media Hub.
“He was very clear about that in the discussions that the U.S. delegation had with him during the course of the inauguration. During the course of our meetings with President Zelenskiy, we also made clear that he needs to pay attention to his own credibility and his own ability to carry out those tasks.”
“With that in mind, he should pay attention to what image he conveys, what messages he conveys, how he gets started in business.”
On May 21, the Dzerkalo Tyzhnia news site reported that, during phone conversations with Zelenskiy, Volker had urged the new president not to appoint Andriy Bohdan, the personal lawyer of notorious oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, his chief of staff. Zelenskiy would subsequently do just that.
Kolomoisky is suspected by many of masterminding Zelenskiy’s rise to power.
Asked about this, Volker said that U.S. representatives had not advised Zelenskiy on any appointments, but supported Zelenskiy’s stated principles of combating corruption, enforcing rule of law and judicial reform. They had not, however, discussed any individuals.
The U.S. envoy also commented on the withdrawal of Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk from negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. A close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Medvedchuk had represented that Kremlin’s interests in the negotiations under the auspices of former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
On May 24, the pro-Russian politician pulled out of talks with Russia, citing deep disagreement with Zelenskiy’s policies on Moscow and Russia’s war in the Donbas.
Volker said that the new president had the right to have his own representative in talks with the Kremlin, although he noted that he had not discussed Zelenskiy’s choice for the role with him.
“I do support, however, his right to make those choices,” Volker said.
“Having been elected as a president, it is his responsibility to oversee Ukraine’s participation in the Minsk (peace) process and aiming at having the territory restored to Ukraine. It is his choice who he wants to be his representatives and we will work with him and those individuals as much as we can.”
