Zelensky Reunites the Band! Saakashvili’s Citizenship Restored, Kolomoisky Returns From Israel!


EPA

Zelensky's decision to restore the citizenship of Saakashvili is a puzzle, of course, for both Ukrainian political analysts and the president's opponents. They could just attribute everything to dialogue with Poroshenko in absentia. One took away his citizenship, and the other gave it back.

Zelensky's decision to restore the citizenship of Saakashvili is a puzzle, of course, for both Ukrainian political analysts and the president's opponents. They could just attribute everything to dialogue with Poroshenko in absentia. One took away his citizenship, and the other gave it back. But his predecessor isn't the only person Zelensky is talking to. After Russia made the decision to fast-track citizenship applications for the residents of the LPR and DPR, Zelensky promised to issue passports to Russians and thus, I quote, "protect freedom and democracy". Putin was told about those words.

 

Vladimir Putin: "As to freedom and other things, it's also important. In this case, perhaps they shouldn't start with Russia and Russians. For instance, for fairness' sake, it might be a good idea to restore the Ukrainian passport of a certain someone who used to be a Georgian and now considers himself to be a Ukrainian. I mean Saakashvili Mikhail Nikolaevich. He was illegally deprived of citizenship and illegally expelled from the country. They should restore his citizenship. His rights were violated, just like some other Ukrainian citizens who had to leave the country for the Promised Land, fleeing from persecution by the current Ukrainian regime".

So, Kolomoisky returned from the Promised Land of Israel last week. Saakashvili is to come tomorrow. What does Zelensky want to state with that? And who should be afraid of his next step? At least, there's something to discuss in political talk shows.

Saakashvili is returning to Ukraine. President Zelensky annulled Poroshenko's decision and restored the Ukrainian citizenship of the fugitive Georgian. In another decree, he appointed a former minister of finance as the head of the security council. It happened right after he went to Donbass, where Zelensky inspected Ukrainian barracks in front of cameras but didn't appear before the locals at all.

Anton Lyadov has the details.

The troops greeting the sunglasses-wearing commander-in-chief are Ukrainian Army servicemen. They're receiving Vladimir Zelensky. They say that they don't use the cracked sink. They have a shower. The President, wearing a ballistic vest over a shirt with its sleeves rolled up, went to inspect a bathroom. He opens a shower curtain with striped fish on it.

- Do you have hot water?

- Yes, we do.

The President said that it would do. In another room, he noticed a ventilation hole covered with a piece of paper and adhesive tape. He speaks to the servicemen in Ukrainian only, standing in front of a sign reading "Turn off the pump" in Russian. Zelensky didn't just inspect the other rooms but sat down on each bed.

"Can I sit down? Not bad. It's like in summer camps".

The President didn't elaborate on what exactly will be improved. He inspected the servicemen's positions from a dug-out using binoculars. But he didn't talk to the civilians who were a few feet away from those positions. He didn't even hint that there'll be peace one day. While during the electoral race, Zelensky told repeatedly that peace in Donbass is his most important goal. People living on the other side of the barricades started an online petition called "Zelensky, recognize Donbass's choice." They remind him of the promises he had made.

"I'm Alexander Mitrofanov, a taxi driver".

"I'm 18. I'm a student at the Lugansk College of Building".

"I think that it's time to sit down at the negotiating table and start to negotiate".

"Let's solve this conflict peacefully".

Meanwhile, Ukrainian servicemen are conducting new drills in the Sea of Azov. The video, made in the style of an American action movie and set to AC/DC's "Highway to Hell", was published on the page of the Joint Forces Operation on Facebook (запрещена в РФ). The progress in peaceful areas depends on the negotiations with the IMF. Apparently, Zelensky's team will have to look for a new approach to it.

The newly-appointed Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexander Danilyuk, who replaced Turchinov, stated that they'll have to prepare a new program of cooperation by the end of the summer. He's known to have been a British citizen up until at least 2016. And his wife and children still have British passports. Under Poroshenko, Danilyuk was the Minister of Finance. In fact, while he ran the ministry, Ukraine's debt to the IMF increased to almost $80 billion.

Oleg Lyashko, leader of the Radical Party: "Poroshenko wanted to sell land, now Zelensky wants to sell land. And then, they're talking about a default".

Another colorful political figure is to appear in Ukraine very soon. The man, whom Odessa residents remembered for wearing pants tucked into socks and traveling in the trunk of a police car, will have his Ukrainian citizenship back. Zelensky personally let Saakashvili return to Ukraine.

Mikhail Saakashvili, former President of Georgia: "They ask me what I, a Georgian, will do in Ukraine. I like Ukraine. I'm proud of Ukraine".

Saakashvili is also known to have tried to sell the Port of Odessa in parts, promised a direct link between Odessa and Antalya, pitched a work tent (which was supposed to be his office) on a highway. But the road never appeared. He also liked to argue. His fiercest arguments were with Arsen Avakov.

- Blah-blah-blah, you say?

- Blah-blah-blah, nobody has talked to me like that.

- You ruined your country. Get out of my country.

- I'm Ukrainian.

Given the fact that Yuriy Lutsenko, who is still the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, called Saakashvili a traitor today, it's still unclear how the former governor of Odessa Oblast will be received tomorrow. Saakashvili is to arrive in Ukraine at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Anton Lyadov, Anna Kolk, and Pavel Alexeev for Vesti.