Crowd cheers as news host warns: Zelensky will be toppled by protests if he crosses 'red lines' in Paris

RT
Sun, 08 Dec 2019 18:34 UTC

© Reuters /Valentyn Ogirenko

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy; People take part in a rally ahead of the so-called "Normandy" format summit, in Kiev.

Pressure is mounting on Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the opposition threatening him with civil unrest should he show weakness during the Normandy Four talks with Russian, French and German leaders on Monday.

Thousands attended a rally at the iconic Maidan square in the center of the Ukrainian capital, organized in the run-up to the high-profile meeting by the parties of Petro Poroshenko, whom Zelensky defeated in the spring election, as well as former PM Yulia Tymoshenko and rock star Vyacheslav Vakarchuk. And the speakers on stage didn't mince words.

"Your flight will be not from Paris to Kiev, but from Paris to Rostov[-on-Don]. If it won't be tomorrow then it'll be a bit later," prominent news host Vitaly Gaidukevich warned, addressing the head of state.

© Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko

The mention of the Russian city was in fact a stark reminder to Zelensky that "Maidan democracy" continues to grip Ukraine. The blunt threat meant that the Ukrainian president may endure the fate of ex-leader Viktor Yanukovych, if he doesn't deliver what the opposition wants.

Yanukovych was overthrown in February 2014 after violent protests in central Kiev, in which around 100 people were killed. He fled to Crimea and then to Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, and has claimed that an attempt on his life was made in the process.

"Maidan has proven time and again that citizens have power in Ukraine," Gaidukevich told the crowd, which chanted slogans calling for Zelensky to be immediately kicked out from office should he do something "wrong."

The Normandy Four talks are being held in an attempt to find ways to settle the protracted conflict in eastern Ukraine. Notably, it will be Zelensky's first face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin - and a lot is being expected from the man (Zelensky) back home.

The opposition said it won't settle for "peace at any cost," insisting that Zelensky should make no compromises in Paris when it comes to Ukraine's course towards Europe and towards the "de-occupation and return of Crimea," which voted in March 2014 to break away from Ukraine and rejoin Russia.

Comment: Zelensky has his 'choice of scripts' for this meeting, given various input, threats and advice. It remains to be seen how he faces the international forces while placating the agitated home crowd. The reality is this one meeting will not right the years of wrongs regarding Ukraine, and diplomacy will only stretch so far. Zelensky has a chance to impress and create a work-out situation. Is he up to the task?

RFE/RL 8/12/2019: Putin, Zelensky meeting hopes to break deadlock on peace process

The presidents of Ukraine and Russia are set to meet in Paris on December 9 for long-awaited talks on resolving the military conflict in eastern Ukraine that has left more than 13,000 people dead since 2014. It will be the first time the heads of Ukraine and Russia have met since 2016 and the first meeting ever between Zelensky and Putin.

Moscow denies direct involvement in the conflict between separatist formations in parts of eastern Ukraine and the Kyiv government. The International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled in November 2016 that the war in eastern Ukraine was "an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation."

The Kremlin wants to maintain as much influence over Kyiv as it can, using the land held by the separatists it supports in the Donbas as a lever. The Ukrainian president must balance the benefits of progress toward peace with the potentially disastrous risk of being seen as surrendering to Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on December 6 in Rome that Moscow was seeking "to really ensure the security of the people of the Donbas, to guarantee their rights as set forth in the Minsk agreements, and to stop this conflict."

Zelensky, for his part, said earlier this month that the mere fact the talks have restarted was his "first victory" in efforts to end the war. He will push three main ideas in Paris: a further exchange of prisoners, implementing a cease-fire agreement, and the disbanding of "illegal armed formations" in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has said that Putin plans a one-on-one meeting with Zelensky. Kyiv, however, has said only that such an encounter is only under consideration.

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on December 6 posted online a statement advising Zelensky not to meet directly with Putin. "Do not trust Putin," he recommended. "Never and in nothing." He warned his successor that Putin will use "KGB-style manipulations, flattery, and play on the president's emotions and flaws."