Zelensky ‘unafraid’ Saakashvili may oppose him

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that he is not afraid that former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who now chairs the executive committee of Ukraine’s National Reforms Council, may one day oppose him as he did former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. 

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Zelensky says that unlike Poroshenko, he has never been Saakashvili’s friend. 

However, he noted that ‘everything is possible.’ 

Speaking with Ukrainskaia Pravda, Zelensky said that he offered Saakashvili the Ukrainian Vice PM’s post for reforms. However, the Servant for the People’s party went against the decision. 

He said that before making the offer Saakashvili said that he was ready to support him and ‘came with several appropriate pieces of advice.’ 

I Initially offered him to be my advisor for reforms. However, he (Saakashvili) said that the post was not for him and stated that he could be engaged with reforms in the government as the Vice PM,” Zelensky said. 

He stated that he restored Saakashvili’s Ukrainian citizenship ‘as it was fair.’ 

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Georgia Igor Dolgov was summoned for explanations over Saakashvili at Georgian Foreign Ministry.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry says that Saakashvili, who is wanted for several charges in Georgia, ‘continues to interfere in Georgia’s political and election issues.’ 

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Georgia Igor Dolgov has been summoned for explanations at the Georgian Foreign Ministry as Saakashvili said that ‘he is fighting against the current head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili on the frontline.’ 

After the meeting with the Georgian FM Dolgov said that ‘Saakashvili does not represent the executive branch of the Ukrainian government, is the citizen of Ukraine, but is Georgian in origin and Georgia ‘is an important part of his life.’ 

He will never stop being Georgian,” Doolgov said, adding that many other issues, including coronavirus-related topics, were discussed at the meeting. 

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 Georgian top officials have sharply opposed Saakashvili taking any post in Ukraine.