Zelensky’s party expels Dubinsky from faction

President Zelensky’s Servant of the People expelled
Oleksandr Dubinksy from the parliamentary faction on Feb. 1, unian.info
reported the same day. MP Olha Vasylevska-Smahliuk wrote on Telegram that it
was the “shortest-ever” meeting of the faction. Dubinsky was ejected by a vote
of 198-29, with 19 abstentions.

Dubinsky had been asked previously by
President Zelensky to leave the faction, which he refused to
do. The ex-member was added to a U.S. sanctions list in January for allegedly
interfering in the U.S. 2020 presidential elections.

James Hydzik: The
expulsion is at best another half-measure that will instil fear in precisely
nobody. Dubinsky is not famous for his business holdings in the United States
or his cultural ties with the country. Within Ukraine, with polls showing gains
by the pro-Russian Opposition Block, there will be room enough for him and
others supporting his moves in Ukrainian politics for the foreseeable future.

However, the expelling may have negative
consequences for the image of the Servant of the People faction, as Dubinsky is
by profession an investigative journalist. In particular, there is a high
likelihood of materials and documents appearing that will compromise the faction in the eyes of not only the Ukrainian public, but also
international partners.