Rinkevics does not expect radical change in Ukraine's foreign policy after Zelensky’s victory in presidential election

RIGA - The election of Volodymir Zelensky as Ukraine’s new president is unlikely to bring about radical change in Ukraine’s foreign policy, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (New Unity) said in an interview to LETA.

The Latvian foreign minister does not expect significant changes in the main strategic objectives Ukraine has defined in the past five years, which include closer cooperation with the European Union (EU), the country’s territorial integrity and strengthening of its independence, as well as reforms.

Rinkevics pointed out that the president-elect has clearly stated his support for maintaining Ukraine’s existing geopolitical orientation, which undoubtedly helped him win voters’ confidence.

Although for the time being it is impossible to make any detailed predictions about Ukraine’s future policies, much will depend on what people will be appointed Ukraine’s next foreign and defense ministers. At the same time, Rinkevics does not expect Ukraine’s foreign policy to change radically.

The minister underlined that Latvia is ready to cooperate with Ukraine and the administration of its new president, as well as to provide support to Ukraine’s reforms, territorial integrity and progress towards closer integration with the EU and NATO. Rinkevics does not predict any substantial change in the two countries’ bilateral relations.

Rinkevics believes that the strong voter support for Zelensky shows that people in Ukraine want more active reforms in combating corruption and law enforcement.

As reported, Volodymir Zelensky won Ukraine’s presidential election, beating outgoing President Petro Poroshenko in the run-off last Sunday. Zelensky received nearly three times more votes than Poroshenko, according to preliminary results.