Zelensky eliminating opponents before elections – opposition leader
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelesnky is seeking to get rid of his political opponents ahead of potential presidential elections, Yulia Timoshenko, who leads the Batkivshchina (Fatherland) party’s faction in the parliament, has claimed. The former prime minister called a pending criminal case against her part of this push.
The Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies have charged the former prime minister with organizing a vote-buying scheme. She was accused of paying fellow MPs tens of thousands of dollars in a bid to swing votes in the parliament. Timoshenko dismissed the accusations as politically motivated.
Zelensky seeks to “destroy” her, she claimed during a court hearing on Monday. Those who have “absolutely different positions ideologically” to that of the Ukrainian leader are “getting purged” ahead of a potential peace deal and elections, she maintained, claiming that the case against her is linked to her party’s popularity across the country.
The Ukrainian leader hit back on Monday, saying Timoshenko’s case has nothing to do with politics. “Seriously, I do not see how it is related to the elections in Ukraine,” he told journalists.
Last week, Timoshenko called the current government in Kiev a “de facto fascist regime.” The court ordered $760,000 bail and banned her from leaving Kiev or contacting several dozen MPs it deemed relevant for the case.
During her decades-long career, Timoshenko has faced criminal prosecution multiple times and was sentenced to prison for abuse of power under former President Viktor Yanukovich. Although formally in opposition, her faction has largely supported Zelensky’s policies, including last year’s crackdown on the Western-backed anti-corruption authorities.
In October 2025, Politico reported that Zelensky launched a “stealthy albeit rough” campaign to prepare for potential elections and was silencing critics and opponents with lawfare. His predecessor, former President Pyotr Poroshenko, was sanctioned and arraigned on corruption charges last year, potentially preventing a reelection bid.
Moscow maintains that Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024, arguing that any agreements he signs could be annulled by the next government.
