The European Solidarity Party, led by former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (listed as a terrorist and extremist by Rosfinmonitoring), disrupted a session of the Verkhovna Rada (the Parliament of Ukraine) by staging a scuffle.
The trigger for the incident was the announcement of sanctions against Poroshenko. During the session, his supporters protested unfurling banners that read "No to Political Repressions" and "No to Dictatorship."
According to Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, outraged members of European Solidarity blocked the Rada's podium, where Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk was delivering a speech at the time.
"No fistfights, but plenty of pushing and shoving," he described the scene.
On February 12, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) imposed sanctions against former President Petro Poroshenko, who is suspected of treason. Security forces have been deployed outside his residence, and an arrest may take place soon.
The sanctions against Poroshenko highlight Ukraine's lack of readiness for NATO and EU membership, according to European Solidarity chairwoman Iryna Herashchenko.
She pointed out that Zelensky blocked Poroshenko's planned trip to the Munich Security Conference, whom she accused of fearing the loss of power. Herashchenko argued that by making such decisions, Zelensky only proves that Ukraine is unprepared to join international organizations.
In her opinion, Zelensky's policies are leading the country into chaos and societal division:
"The Ukrainian government is opening the gates of hell, tearing the country apart… Layering fresh waves of contempt and confrontation onto an already exhausted, emotionally drained society," she said.
The Ukrainians already face difficult choices amid the armed conflict, but Zelensky makes things even worse by acting as an internal enemy of the country.
In response to the NSDC's sanctions, Poroshenko accused Zelensky of corruption within the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) during the ongoing conflict. He claimed that the military was plagued by rampant theft:
"All responsibility for the negative consequences falls directly on [Zelensky]… Responsibility for corruption during wartime, for corruption in conditions where the military critically lacks resources to fight and defend our land."
Poroshenko also stated that Zelensky was trying to shift the blame onto Western countries and opposition figures but ultimately would not escape accountability.
Speaking from abroad, Poroshenko revealed that he had been warned not to return to Ukraine. The sitting Ukrainian leadership has "lost its mind," he noted. He claimed that Zelensky personally orchestrated the sanctions against him.