Zelensky close adviser joins Donbas parliamentary group

Mykola Tyshchenko, the deputy head of the People’s
Servant parliamentary faction, announced on Sept. 28 that he has joined the
parliamentary working group on legislative changes to resolve the war in
Donbas. “When the president addressed parliament, his main theme – that the
entire country voted for – was peace. So we are finding new solutions today and
I am truly one of the members of this group. Not everything is as good as
wanted. That’s precisely why the president and us, as his team, are searching
for new solutions. All these solutions are aimed at fulfilling our promises, as
people’s deputies (MPs) and as citizens of this country,” he said, as reported
by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

The details of the working group’s results will be
disclosed soon, Tyshchenko wrote on his Facebook page. “As I predicted, its
members include both professionals, as well as blatantly weak representatives
who are working towards dividing Ukrainians on both sides of the conflict. But
my position is unchanged, and it is analogous to the president’s position:
There is no other side. Above all, there are Ukrainians who are divided by the
war in Donbas. And our common task is to unite families, unite people, and
unite Ukraine. To do everything for peace to come as fast as possible,” he
wrote.

Amending the local elections legislation to allow for
voting in occupied Donbas – as being demanded by Russia – is not possible at
the moment, Parliamentary Speaker Dmytro Razumkov told a television talk show
on Sept. 28. The People’s Servant faction hasn’t discussed any legislation on
elections in Donbas, nor have any bills been included in parliament’s agenda
this week. Moreover, elections are set no later than 90 days beforehand, and
any changes now “can place under doubt the entire election process,” he said.

Zenon Zawada: Tyshchenko
has become Zelensky’s closest adviser in the last year, Andriy Bohdan –
formerly Zelensky’s closest political adviser – said in an early September
interview. His presence in the parliamentary group means he will be trying to
influence its work to pursue Zelensky’s agenda in Donbas.

Judging by the president’s pattern of actions on
Donbas, and Tyshchenko’s statements on the situation, the pair – in tandem with
Andriy Yermak – will be looking for new “innovative” ways to offer concessions
to the Kremlin. This is effective populist politics – as ending the war in
Donbas is a popular notion – that will serve to keep Zelensky in office for as
long as the Ukrainian public allows itself to be deceived that a reasonable
solution can be reached with the Kremlin.