Page 20 - UKRRptMay19

"I would like to note once again that I am ready for negotiations. I hope that at the next meeting in the Normandy format Russia will demonstrate readiness for de-escalation ... Our side is ready to discuss new conditions for coexistence of Ukraine and Russia," Zelenskiy wrote on Facebook, adding the exchange of prisoners under the "all for all" formula should be a concrete confirmation of Russia's readiness for de-escalation. Zelenskiy has made the return of POW a top priority for his dealing with Russia during his campaign.
Putin’s reply was dig his heels in and insist on some of the clauses in the Minsk II agreement that Zelenskiy has yet to comment on. The Russian leader pointed to the statements Zelenskiy had made during the election campaign that he did not plan to sign a decree granting amnesty to the Donbas conflict’s participants and did not intend to provide special status to certain Donbas areas as stipulated in the Minsk Agreements. "How will it be possible to resolve the LPR-DPR issue without implementing the Minsk Agreements? I would very much like to ask him this question and discuss these matters with him," Putin said.
The Kremlin is likely to be uncooperative until the October parliamentary elections pass as until then Zelenskiy will not have the power to implement any promises he may make. If Zelenskiy’s party does badly in the elections the comedian turned politician runs the danger of being a lame duck president.
2.10 Politics - misc
Ukrainian comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy has won the second round of election with 73.22% of the vote, the nation's Central Election Commission has said on April 23 after it processed 100% of ballots. The incumbent President Petro Poroshenko has received 24.45% of the vote, while 2.31% of ballot papers were found invalid. The voter turnout in the run-off vote was 61.37% across the whole country.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said on Apr. 22 he will join a new political party to compete in the October parliamentary elections. He was elected to the current parliament in 2014 with the Solidarity Poroshenko Bloc. During the television talk show, Groysman also repeated calls for exclusive open-list voting in the elections, in which voters select candidates nominated by parties. Currently, half the seats in parliament are elected by the winners of single-mandate districts, while the other half are determined by voting for parties with closed, pre-determined lists of candidates. We believe Groysman, 41, will try to cooperate with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, 41, with the possible goal of joining and promoting Zelenskiy's newly launched, but yet-to-be-defined party. The People’s Servant party is likely to be a centrist force with pragmatic goals – such as fighting corruption and improving investment conditions – that appeals to young entrepreneurial urbanites. Groysman can adjust his image to conform accordingly, while offering Zelenskiy his deep experience in both parliament and the Cabinet. Groysman isn’t particularly popular and doesn’t draw an electorate to any party on his own. Yet to his credit, he has managed to preserve his reputation, without being associated with corruption nor alienating a large section of the public, which is a remarkable feat for any Ukrainian prime minister. The ability to work together will determine whether Zelenskiy will be cooperating with the old elites, with Groysman being among
20 UKRAINE Country Report May 2019 www.intellinews.com