Ukrainians can defeat populism — Poroshenko

 Ukrainian citizens will do a responsible choice while voting for candidates to the highest state post and will not be let astray be populism, President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine has said.

"I am convinced that Ukraine will still demonstrate to Europe a responsible choice, as Ukrainians know how to defeats populism," Poroshenko said on Monday evening in the Freedom of Speech program aired by the ICTV channel.

Poroshenko said the election campaign period is the time "when populism is in full bloom." He said that the consequences of populism are amply demonstrated in Venezuela. "What did Hugo Chávez do, and then Maduro? The first thing he promised was that he would nationalize oil and gas companies and cut the price of gas twice. It was Maduro’s promise and he nationalized the companies. As soon as he nationalized [them], the gas disappeared. As soon as orders were given out to reduce the price for oil—the gasoline disappeared. As soon as they started to deal with foodstuffs, food was gone. Is this some kind of Venezuelan phenomenon? No. It is a populism phenomenon," the president said.

The head of state said the danger of populism exists today not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe, but he believes in the victory over populism in Ukraine, as has happened in European countries.

Poroshenko said he believes that no populist appeals, which "are often based on Russian propaganda and elements of the Russian hybrid war because it is from there where they get both funding and informational support from," will affect the choice of the Ukrainian people.

"The Ukrainians have learned to take the 'noodles' of the Russian propaganda off their own ears and will never buy into it again," the president said.

Poroshenko said, "Ukrainians are very responsible and they are definitely not indifferent to the fate of the state."