Poroshenko Addresses Crowd at Airport as He Arrives in Kyiv to Face Treason Charge

2 年前

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressed supporters at the airport in Kyiv as he arrived to face treason charges on January 17.

“We are here not to defend Poroshenko. We are here to defend Ukraine,” he told a crowd numbering in the hundreds, according to a translation from Radio Free Europe. “We have to unite to show that Ukraine is strong and is able to stand against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s aggression,” he said.

Prosecutors are alleging that Poroshenko was involved in financing Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine through the sale of coal.

Poroshenko tweeted he was returning to Ukraine “for the sake of unity and protection” from the Kremlin’s “aggression.”

Twitter user @di__cortez recorded this footage which shows Poroshenko address a crowd upon his arrival at the airport, and the scene outside the court. Credit: @di__cortez via Storyful