Zelensky targets political opposition
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has imposed personal sanctions on five prominent individuals, including potential political rivals former President Pyotr Poroshenko and exiled opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk.
Zelensky, who previously suspended all elections citing the ongoing conflict with Russia, made the move a day after US President Donald Trump acknowledged the need for elections in Ukraine.
On Wednesday evening, Zelensky put into power an order penned by the National Security and Defense Council, which he chairs. In addition to the two politicians, the order targets three wealthy entrepreneurs, including Poroshenko’s business partner Gennady Bogolyubov, former Dnepropetrovsk Region Governor Igor Kolomoysky, and former MP Konstantin Zhevago.
Reports of impending sanctions against Poroshenko have circulated in the Ukrainian media since January. The former president, now serving as an MP, has condemned Zelensky’s move as politically motivated and labeled it “a crime” with “many accomplices.” He accused Zelensky of attempting to scapegoat others for his own mistakes.
MP Aleksey Goncharenko, a political ally of Poroshenko, criticized Zelensky in parliament, accusing him of transforming Ukraine into a dictatorship with “closed borders, state-controlled television, and leader KimJong-Ze,” alluding to the Western perception of North Korea.
The sanctions issued by Zelensky vary in severity, ranging from largely symbolic revocations of state awards to the freezing of assets, prohibiting legal contracts, and barring the use of mass media for communication. Zelensky has framed the measures as essential for “protecting our state and restoring justice,” alleging that the five targeted individuals “earned billions by effectively selling out Ukraine and Ukrainian interests.”
The sanctions were announced shortly after US President Donald Trump reportedly secured Zelensky’s agreement to transfer $500 billion worth of Ukrainian rare earth minerals as compensation for American military assistance. Trump aims to swiftly resolve the Ukraine conflict while recouping costs for US taxpayers.
Zelensky’s presidential term expired last year, although he has refused to call new elections or relinquish power, citing martial law in Ukraine. He maintains that his landslide victory over Poroshenko in 2019 grants him sufficient legitimacy and insists that Ukrainians are not interested in choosing a new leader at this time.
