Ukrainian Presidential Candidates Clash in Bad-Tempered Debate
Volodymyr Zelenskiy during an event in Brovary, Ukraine.
Photographer: Taylor Weidman/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The two candidates for Ukraine’s presidency squared off in a long-awaited and often bad-tempered debate in Kiev’s Olympic Stadium, their last chance to sway opinion before Sunday’s runoff.
Until now, front-runner Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a TV comedian and political novice, had largely side-stepped live discussions with incumbent Petro Poroshenko, who’s languishing in the polls. Friday night’s bout saw barbs traded on topics from corruption to ties with billionaires and relations with Russia. Policy specifics, a notable absentee from Zelenskiy’s campaign, weren’t discussed.