Zelensky sanctions key political rival – media

Former Ukrainian president Pyotr Poroshenko has reportedly faced restrictions linked to “treason” charges.

Kiev has allegedly imposed sanctions on former president Pyotr Poroshenko, according to multiple local media outlets, as Vladimir Zelensky spoke about the need to fight those “selling Ukraine” in his Wednesday address.

The nature of the restrictions remains unclear, but Ukrainian media sources claimed they were linked to the “treason” charges against Poroshenko. The sanctions were reportedly imposed by the National Security and Defense Council (SNBO) – a coordinating body that normally answers to the president – following Zelensky’s meeting with SNBO members.

The Ukrainian leader confirmed that a certain “decision” was made at the meeting and vowed to make it public on Thursday. He claimed the move was aimed at “protecting our state and restoring justice” and promised to hold accountable those who had supposedly “destroyed” Ukraine’s national security and helped Moscow.

Zelensky specifically mentioned “billions … earned by selling Ukraine” and its interests, adding that the money “must be blocked.” However, he did not name anyone.

Poroshenko called the restrictions “absolutely illegal” and branded them a “provocation” in a statement on Facebook. He claimed that Zelensky personally “ordered, signed, and implemented” the SNBO decision. Earlier, he stated that Ukrainian authorities had barred him from attending the Munich Security Conference, scheduled for February 14-16.

The current head of the European Solidarity party, which holds 27 seats in Ukraine’s 450-seat parliament, Poroshenko led the country from 2014 to 2019 following the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovich in a Western-backed coup. In December 2021, he was charged with high treason over alleged coal deals in Donbass during his presidency. His assets were frozen in January 2022, but he vowed in court not to flee the country.

Poroshenko has since emerged as a fierce critic of Vladimir Zelensky. In 2023, he appealed to EU leaders, calling for the “restoration of freedom of speech” and political plurality in Ukraine. He also condemned what he described as Kiev’s “authoritarianism.” In early February, he accused Zelensky of failing to establish effective communication with US President Donald Trump.

Zelensky held a phone call with Trump on Wednesday, as the US president’s envoy delivered his demands for the “equivalent of $500 billion worth of rare earths” in exchange for the hundreds of billions of dollars Washington has spent bankrolling Kiev.

Zelensky “is selling out what remains of Ukraine, selling it for a pittance and openly,” Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), said on Wednesday, noting that much of the mineral wealth Zelensky is offering to Trump is actually Russian.

Moscow has repeatedly questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy since his presidential term officially expired in May 2024. Amid growing pressure on Kiev to organize a new presidential election, Ukrainian media reported in mid-January that Zelensky was considering further legal action against his critic and political rival.