President Volodymyr Zelensky held a series of non-public meetings in January with people who have previously been in conflict with the President's Office or were considered political opponents of the current authorities.
These include volunteers, former officials, and public figures, regarding whom criminal proceedings were previously opened, access to media was restricted, or they were dismissed without explanation. This was mentioned in an analytical video by Yaroslav Zheleznyak on his YouTube channel «Iron MP».
According to Zheleznyak, among such meetings are contacts with former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, volunteer Serhiy Prytula, activist Serhiy Sternenko, former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, and also with Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who is currently the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom. All conversations lasted about an hour and were not of a formal nature regarding personnel interviews.
Presidential meetings with critics: not about new appointments
As emphasized by Zheleznyak, these contacts are not related to the creation of a new political project or the preparation of personnel decisions. According to his sources in the President's Office and among the meeting participants, no specific positions or political roles were offered during the conversations. The only exception considered in the past was the appointment of Dmytro Kuleba, but this idea is currently not relevant.
The format of dialogue with authoritative figures
According to the channel's author, the initiative for the meetings belongs personally to Volodymyr Zelensky. After personnel changes in the President's Office, the head of state decided to go beyond the narrow circle of advisors and hear the opinions of people with public authority who have often critically assessed the government's actions. During these conversations, the president listened more than he spoke, asked clarifying questions, and gathered feedback on management decisions, the situation in the country, and possible scenarios for the development of events.
Zheleznyak emphasizes that such meetings have already produced a public effect: the tone of comments from many participants towards the president has become more restrained and sometimes even more constructive. In his opinion, this indicates Zelensky's attempt to reduce tension in society and partially overcome the isolation in which he had previously been.
In conclusion, the channel's author believes that the new format of communication may help the president receive more objective information and make balanced managerial decisions in the context of war and internal challenges.
Let us remind you that Yaroslav Zheleznyak previously reported how the first plenary week of the year went.