Micheal Saakashvili"s return to Ukraine is still in the focus of local and international media. The third president of Georgia spoke with Deutsche Welle about trust in the new president of Ukraine, conflict with the former president and political plans. In an exclusive interview with the influential TV company, Mikheil Saakashvili said that the fact that Vladimir Zelensky returned to him the Ukrainian citizenship was for him a sign that the new president was free from the influence of the Kremlin and oligarchs.
Mikheil Saakashvili also talked about why he would start the new government"s criticism.
"I"m being asked why I look calmer after getting back to Ukraine, why I speak more cautiously. Yes, I am calm, because I returned to the country that is very different from the country I left. It will be a personal tragedy if I have to criticize the new government. This will happen if I see that time is lost. We do not have time because the political elite of Ukraine feels danger from the elected president and his team and is waiting for a favorable moment.
"As for Putin"s statement about the return of citizenship to me. Putin sent signals to Vladimir Zelensky through various channels that this was a test. If he failed to allow me to return to Ukraine, it would be a sign that Zelenzak was exactly the man Moscow, could rely on but he restored my citizenship. For me, it was evidence that he is a man independent from Moscow and local oligarchic interests. As I said, I have no political ambitions. Now I want to create a platform where I can share my experiences and experiments with other people. Create new ideas for development, "Saakashvili said.