The young Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is not spared the fate. Elected to everyone's surprise in April 2019, the 41-year-old former actor finds himself, despite himself, involved in several cases with international repercussions, even though his first year in office has not yet been completed.
Because the country is at the heart of the impeachment procedure of Donald Trump, but also of the quarrel between Iran and the United States since it is a Ukrainian plane which was shot down in the Iranian sky on January 8th. And now there is Oleksiï Gontcharouk, his Prime Minister forced to resign after making fun of him. And, still in the background, the difficult peace negotiations in Donbass. Back on a first presidential year rich in twists and turns.
June 2019: a phone call from Donald Trump at the heart of the impeachment procedure
History will remember that of all the swords of Damocles having hung over the head of Donald Trump during his mandate, it is the "Ukrainian affair" which will have triggered his trial for dismissal. A case that at the outset is only a phone call, exchanged on July 25, 2019 between Trump and his freshly elected Ukrainian counterpart.
An exchange, during which the first asks the second to "look" at the Joe Biden clan. In other words, to investigate his potential future Democratic opponent for the presidential election next November. Just an hour and a half after the phone call, an American budget official asked the Pentagon to "wait" before paying aid to the Ukrainian army. Suspecting Donald Trump of exerting illegal pressure on his counterpart, the American Democrats have since launched the impeachment procedure.
The affair does not make a lot of noise in Ukraine, but internationally, the Ukrainian president will always be linked to this historic impeachment trial against Donald Trump.
December 2019: resumption of the dialogue on the Donbass, but little progress
On December 9, 2016, for the first time since 2016, the Russian and Ukrainian heads of state met in Paris on December 9, under the aegis of Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. Objective: to find a path to peace in eastern Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky had promised during the presidential campaign to end this conflict in which Russian-backed separatists have opposed the Ukrainian military since 2014.
On this occasion, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to exchange prisoners, demilitarize three new pilot areas and strengthen surveillance against violations of the cease-fire. They also agreed, in principle, to implement the ceasefire concluded in the framework of the Minsk agreements in 2015 and which has remained a dead letter to this day, and to organize local elections in Donbas. But only in principle. Because in fact, no details were given on the organization of the poll and Ukraine claims a resumption of its eastern border, which is excluded for Russia. And it is difficult to see Volodymyr Zelensky, a political novice, failing Vladimir Putin.
January 8, 2020: the Iran crash
For the second time in six months, Ukraine unwittingly found itself in the spotlight at the start of the year. On January 8, in the midst of escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, a Boeing of the Ukrainian company Airlines International crashed before dawn, just after taking off from Tehran. Among the 176 victims, Canadians, Afghans, British, Swedes and Ukrainians.
After two days of denials, Iran finally admitted to having shot down the aircraft "by mistake", mistaken for an American missile.
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In Ukraine, the crash was very badly lived by the population who did not appreciate the reaction of Volodymyr Zelensky. The latter was indeed on vacation in Oman at the time of the tragedy, and took more than 18 hours to return to Ukraine. His lukewarm statements, especially when compared to strong international positions, did not convince some of the Ukrainians.
January 17, 2020: the internal political crisis
Everything started this time from a leak of recordings in the Ukrainian media, presented as coming from an informal meeting organized on December 16 between ministers and central bank officials. We hear the Prime Minister asking them for simple explanations, because "Zelensky has a really primitive understanding of the economy".
This January 17, a few days after these revelations, the Prime Minister presented his resignation to the Ukrainian president, while questioning the veracity of the recordings: "their content artificially creates the idea that I and my team do not respect the president. It is not true ”.
It will be up to the Ukrainian Parliament to accept or reject this resignation. But for the image of the president, the damage is done.
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