Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko: Puppet in politics?

(Baonghean) - The world in 2015 has just entered the second month, however, there have been many problems that have arisen, causing observers to believe that the instability has no way out in the short term. And the instability in Ukraine is one of them, when President Petro Poroshenko is currently just a puppet in politics with unclear views on his domestic decisions.

During his inauguration as the 5th President of Ukraine on June 7 last year, Petro Poroschenco pledged to avoid a civil war for the country and mend relations with Russia. However, the new President at that time also strongly declared that he would never accept Russia's occupation of the Crimean peninsula as well as efforts to deflect support for his own rapprochement with the West... Up to now, after nearly 1 year in power and in just a few days the 1st anniversary of "returning to motherland Russia" will certainly take place on the Crimean peninsula, what has Petro Poroschenco done as promised besides trying to bring Ukraine closer to the West, causing increasingly escalating instability? Is there even a risk of a civil war with external intervention?

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko during the inauguration ceremony at the Ukrainian parliament on June 7, 2014. Photo: Internet

Before becoming the head of state in this post-Soviet space, Petro Poroschenko was known as a successful businessman and “the most powerful in politics”. He was born in 1965 in the city of Bolhrad, Odessa, but grew up in Vinnytsia in central Ukraine. In 1989, he graduated with a degree in Economics from the Institute of International Relations and International Law of Kiev State University. During the transitional period in the 1990s, Poroschenko traded in cocoa beans, then he bought several confectionery manufacturers, and merged them into the Roshen Group. Roshen produces 450,000 tons of confectionery, 40% of which are sold in Russia and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Because of this sweets company, he is known in Ukraine as the “Chocolate King”. During this time, Poroschenko was also the General Director of the Ukrainian Stock Exchange. After his stake in Ukrprominvest, Poroschenko controlled a number of television stations, including Kanal 5, a liberal and influential private television station. He played little role in the political crisis that culminated in the overthrow of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in February last year, citing constitutional incompetence. However, after the presidential election on May 25 last year, Poroschenko was elected and became the fifth president of Europe's second most populous country.

Returning to the tensions in the Donbass region that have left more than 5,000 people dead and millions homeless, in dire straits… Many people believe that Petro Poroshenko’s unclear decisions are the cause of the current situation. This is not unreasonable, because every time his army is gaining the upper hand, he boldly declares that he will “not give in to the opposition forces” and will use the “powerful” army to take back the East and Crimea. But when his army is losing ground and losing control, he “wants dialogue” and “hopes that the Donbass region will seriously implement the Minsk agreements”. This is unacceptable, because an indecisive stance is not appropriate for the head of a country that is immersed in a terrible and prolonged crisis.

Why is it said that there is a foreign factor involved? In recent days, US officials have considered providing lethal weapons to the Kiev government. If this becomes a reality, it is likely that in the coming time, the war between the army and opposition forces in the East will be much more intense. Because no one dares to affirm that when the US provides weapons to Kiev, Russia will "stand aside" and watch the land where most of the Russian-speaking people die from modern US weapons. While the US has such a tough approach, the West - a "combatant" in politics - has a completely different approach. In response to the call: "The escalation of the conflict and the increase in civilian casualties, especially after the terrorist attacks in Volnovakha and Donetsk, as well as the bombing of Mariupol, will urge the alliance to provide further support to Ukraine, including the transfer of modern weapons to protect and resist the invaders" and "We still need a lot of military, technical and expert support to enhance the fighting strength of the Ukrainian army in the fight against Russia", the West is currently still affirming that it will not support lethal weapons for Kiev. This is not difficult to understand, because if a war really happens, the West will not gain anything but will only make the economic crisis worse. At that time, there will certainly be many Ukrainian refugees to Europe, causing a huge humanitarian burden. And after all, the West does not want to be dragged into a battlefield war or simply a cold war with Russia that would destroy the stability and unity of Europe.

Not receiving support from the West in providing weapons for himself, but just with the statement that the US has "considered" this, it will certainly make President Petro Poroshenko more aggressive in fighting against the independence forces in the East. However, the "signals" from the US are actually only emphasized by the word "consideration" and if this "consideration" does not come true, while the developments on the Eastern battlefield are unfavorable, plus there have been many protests in front of Petro Poroshenko's residence calling on him to return their relatives who are fighting in the East, then it is likely that President Petro Poroshenko will call for compliance with the Minsk agreement. Thus, with an unstable stance and too much dependence from the outside, it is clear that the 5th President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, is just a puppet controlled by other forces.

South Scene