On April 14, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko alone held a “debate” in the national sports complex (NSC) Olympic in Kiev, which his opponent did not attend in the second round of elections, showman Vladimir Zelensky. He said he expects a full-time meeting on April 19 - it was this date that was agreed in advance.

Before the arrival of the President of Ukraine, near the NSC, a scene with propaganda slogans of Poroshenko’s headquarters was mounted. Several thousand citizens gathered to greet the candidate. Some of them, according to RT sources in Kiev, were state budget workers who were transported from remote provinces - passenger buses with "extras" were located not far from the "Olympic".

According to the SBU, about 15 thousand people gathered at the stadium. However, according to estimates of the Interior Ministry, the audience of the debate was much more modest - only 5 thousand Ukrainians.

Petro Poroshenko went up to the stage to the accompaniment of a rock band performing at that time and even managed to dance a little. The ensuing speech of the president was mainly devoted to promises to achieve the country's entry into NATO and the EU. He also stressed that the debate is “a sign of democracy,” and complained about Zelensky’s refusal to come to them.

Earlier, Poroshenko’s opponent and his representatives have repeatedly stated that they don’t intend to come to the Olympic on April 14. Zelensky initially insisted on another date (April 19). Also in an interview with journalists in Paris after a meeting with the French president, he noted that he was afraid of provocations on the day Poroshenko had appointed.

However, the current head of state ignored the arguments of his opponent. Being on the scene under the gun of the cameras, he declared that Zelensky would give 45 minutes to arrive at the stadium. Without waiting for a competitor, the President of Ukraine actually launched the rally in his own support. He held a press conference with representatives of the media, and also sang a Ukrainian song “Ti mene pidmanula” (rus. “Well, you cheated on me.” - RT ) on the stage near the stadium.

Kiev residents who were at the NSC Olimpiyskiy shared their impressions of the past “debates” with RT correspondents.

“I went on my own initiative. The second round of voting is exactly one week later, but I still don’t understand who to vote for. The entrance was free, but it was necessary to arrive by 13:00. All gathered at the scene near the "Olympic", there were only a few thousand people. Maybe that's why the audience was not allowed into the stadium - then it would be clear that Poroshenko, in fact, does not have support. It was possible to get to the scene only through metal detectors, so the process went slowly and traffic jams formed. I talked to several people at the rally and realized that these were state employees. They even walked to the stadium in columns. There were practically no those who really supported Poroshenko, ”said Ivan Kuzmin, a Kiev resident, history teacher, in an interview with RT.

  • Petro Poroshenko welcomes spouse Marina on the stage near the "Olympic"
  • © Petro Poroshenko / Facebook

Sales manager, from Kiev Irina Izovit noted that everything that happened was like a ridiculous show dedicated to praising Poroshenko’s candidacy.

“Poroshenko came on time, which is extremely rare. Several times, along with a small number of volunteers, he urged Vladimir Zelensky to appear. Then he agreed to wait for him 45 minutes and even sang a song. Why all this? Even I knew in advance that Zelensky was not going to come. Circus, and only. Now I will definitely not vote for Poroshenko. He does not hesitate to humiliate Zelensky, ”she says.

Earlier, the press secretary of the President of Ukraine Svyatoslav Tsegolko noted that Poroshenko’s speech allegedly caused a “positive explosion”.

“The atmosphere was incredible: families with children, tears in their eyes, embroidery and incredible faith in their eyes,” says Poroshenko’s representative.

Recall that in the first round of the Ukrainian presidential election, which took place on March 31, the highest percentage of the vote - 30.24% was received by Vladimir Zelensky, 15.95% of voters voted for Petro Poroshenko.

"Worse than a circus"

Sources of RT in the Ukrainian political parties noted that Poroshenko’s behavior was puzzling. According to them, the President of Ukraine crossed the ethical boundaries, trying to kindle hatred of Zelensky from Kiev and form his own positive image.

“The creativity of the team of Petro Poroshenko can only be envied,” the source of RT in the party “People’s Front” notes. - Never before have presidential candidates passed tests on the air, did not convene debates at the stadium, and moreover did not come to the meeting, the consent to which the opponent did not give. A tent was set up next to the Olympic Stadium, where voters were urged not to vote for Zelensky. The so-called debates were conceived as a rally in support of Poroshenko. And eventually it turned into him. All that he allows himself is much worse than a circus. ”

However, as the interlocutor of RT notes, there is no person in the president’s team who could “stop this madness”.

“What we saw is not a comedy, but a horror film. There is a week left before the elections, and it becomes scary what other steps the current president’s team can take. To cordon off the central part of the city, to bring the horse police? What for? So with the surroundings under the clicks of cameras to look for Zelensky under the chairs at the "Olympic"? I have no idea what other surprises await us until April 21, ”says the RT source in the Batkivshchyna party.

"The gap is insurmountable"

Recall that the idea to hold a presidential debate at the stadium originally belongs to Vladimir Zelensky. After Petro Poroshenko accepted the challenge, the candidates even passed tests for alcohol and drugs in the blood. However, differences arose over when to hold a debate.

Zelensky was originally announced on April 19, but Poroshenko’s team decided that the current president would come to the debate on the 14th.

According to Ukrainian legislation, it is precisely on April 19 that the national debate of presidential candidates should be held on the air of the National Public TV and Radio Company of Ukraine (NOTU). They are scheduled for 19:00. According to Zelensky, the Olympic venue should be the meeting place.

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By 19:00 on April 19, as Dmitry Razumkov, representative of Zelensky headquarters, explained to journalists on Sunday, the opponent of the current president will be waiting for Poroshenko at the stadium. True, the current Ukrainian leader does not intend to appear there at this time under the pretext that the debates are scheduled in the studio of the Note. As stated by the representative Poroshenko Oleg Medvedev, the president if he comes to the stadium on April 19, then at another time.

The headquarters of Petro Poroshenko believe that the debate, referred to in the Ukrainian legislation, should be held only in the studio channel. At the headquarters of Zelensky, on the contrary, they believe that citizens should not only see candidates on TV screens, but also be able to ask questions "live".

In an interview with RT, the director of the Institute for Peace Initiatives and Conflictology, Denis Denisov, called the “debate” on April 14 “a one-man show.” In his opinion, Poroshenko understood perfectly well that he would speak alone before the public. Such behavior, as Denisov believes, is a demonstration of the “agony” of the current head of state on the eve of the second round.

“Even if a full-fledged debate took place on April 14, they could not change or lead to any specific result. The gap that was in the first round between the candidates is insurmountable. Poroshenko is trying to rectify the situation, but it is meaningless. The debates put by law are a formality, but also, judging by Poroshenko’s and Zelensky’s mood, it will not be fulfilled, ”Denisov said.

In the RT commentary, the associate professor of the MGIMO political theory department, Kirill Koktysh, noted that Poroshenko expects to discredit Zelensky by “catching” him in his unwillingness to come to the debate. The main goal of the headquarters of the President of Ukraine is to demonstrate the weakness of the showman. For this reason, the media and political analysts controlled by the Ukrainian leader criticize Zelensky for allegedly existing dependence on drugs and fear of an in-person meeting with Poroshenko.

“Zelensky insists that the debate should take place, but not on Poroshenko terms. Obviously, each side will impose its own rules of the game. But I think that his opponent Poroshenko understands that he won the election campaign ahead of time. Sociologists promise him 60-70% of the vote. With such results Zelensky, by and large, the debate is not very necessary, "- concluded Koktysh.